


The New Solare

by Thirdly, Tomacchi



Category: Dragons - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Dragons, Gay, Kemonomimi, M/M, Slash, Yaoi, semi-anthro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2018-12-21 00:00:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 39,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11932080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thirdly/pseuds/Thirdly, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tomacchi/pseuds/Tomacchi
Summary: On a planet with a mixed dragon civilization, Sindri has been chosen as the next head representative from the desert. So, why is he more worried about having to choose a lifemate among the Gallants of the other tribes?





	1. Prologue and Chapter 1

_Prologue : The Astral Princess_

_Once upon a time, a human princess was ushered into a spaceship with the entire castle staff and any villagers that they met on the way. Their home was being torn asunder by a terrestrial war. Though she was only eight years old, she felt a deep sorrow for not being able to do anything to help the remaining villagers and her own parents. They set a course to the nearest planet with compatible conditions to the one that they left behind, and it wasn't until ten years later that they came across a planet that resembled a swirled, rainbow marble._

_When they landed, she insisted on being the first to step out of the ship to breathe in the planet's atmosphere and to judge for herself whether it was suitable for her people. Her clothes and her face were plain. But her curly, white hair reached down to her knees, and her white eyelashes were a striking contrast to her tanned skin. She carried herself in a strong and straight posture, never letting any of her fear she felt inside show on her face, as she stepped down from the ramp. She was immediately hit with a strange static that made her skin tingle. But, the sensation was immediately forgotten as she caught sight of the gigantic, violet dragon that peered down at her._

_::::::_

_ Chapter 1: _ _Gallant Sindri_

An average sized figure walked around the outer skirt of the desert tribe. He was human in form, with the wings, tail, and webbed ears of his dragon ancestors. His dragon features were the color apricot. The golden hair that normally reached down to his waist was currently covered with a hood. Though his pupils were round like a human's, they were a dark orange hue, which barely brought his sunset-hued irises into contrast. His skin was a deep tan. Such was the visage of his kind presently. They called themselves Astral Dragons, as their human and dragon lineage had stabilized into what they now looked like. They called their human mother the Astral Princess, as she had fallen from the sky like a shooting star. The apricot dragon seemed to ignore the blazing heat of the desert sun as he continued to walk.

A lifemate did not magically manifest to become the perfect other half instantly. No, a lifemate was chosen...it had to be someone that you could stand to live with for the rest of your life because, like it or not, a lifetime is a lifetime. Sindri's mind circulated that warning as he trudged back home through dry, coarse sand. That very morning, he had been chosen by his tribe to be their next Gallant. And, ever since then, he had been walking around a close perimeter of the desert in deep thought. These were the kinds of things that young Astral Dragons were taught from the very beginning. Their origins, physical growth, how their society worked. What was that saying? Your entire life flashed before your eyes before you died? Sindri wondered if he was already grieving the death of this uncomplicated stage of his life. He had taken the small peace he had with his mother for granted.

A long time ago, their kind had stubbornly kept to themselves in units divided by their appearances and their terrain. When the Astral Princess crashed onto their planet, everything became a bit shaken up. The tribes forced themselves to interact with one another for the sake of their mixed children and grandchildren until, finally, everyone was free to go from one tribe to another without being ostracized. Each tribe still had a designated leader, but those leaders were now called Sentains. They were respected as elders. And they all answered to one representative that was respected on a worldwide scale...the _Solare_.

The Solare was a Gallant chosen from one tribe at a time. He or she thrived on the advice of the Sentains and remained in that position for a decade. After every decade, the next Solare was chosen. They alternated tribes and genders so that there would always be a balance. Once a Solare retired, he or she would take the place of the corresponding Sentain of the same tribe. To Sindri, it was almost like a game of musical chairs. The people of the tribes were called Visionaries. They were made up of merchants, crafters, menders, and farmers of all kinds. The Visionaries began the cycle by choosing a Gallant among their youth.

The current Solare was Solare Vitara. She was from the mountain tribe. Sindri was the Gallant of the desert tribe. He had been chosen to become the next Solare. However, it wasn't the immense responsibility of the position that had Sindri fretting so much. As the Solare representative, he was to choose a lifemate among the Gallants of the other tribes. A lifemate could make or break you, as the Solare's right hand. And they would all be male, as the tribes always took the current representative's sexual orientation into consideration. Sindri was heading out to the Middlemost City, which they called the heart of the planet. He was to choose a male Gallant as his lifemate...and become the new Solare.

 

 

::::::

When he was a child, Sindri had always wondered how the Visionaries chose a Gallant. The other children would whisper amongst themselves their ideas of how it could be. Theories like 'Maybe they choose the person they think will never get married!' would be tossed around. But, the actual ceremony left little for the Visionaries to actively choose. They would perform a ritual dance around a fire with their palms out in front of them. And then, as a group, their hands would lead them to the dwelling that housed the youth to be chosen as representative. Though they had lost much of their ancient, pure magic, the Cited Ceremony was one of the few rituals that still resonated with that kind of power. His mother had quite literally fainted when she saw the entire community pressing their hands against the sides of her house. He was her only child, after all.

 _"So, we're going to show you off to a room mostly full of men so that they can drool and fight over you?"_  Ansar asked him, startling the blonde out of his reverie.

Ansar and Sindri had been best friends for a decade. Sindri was grateful that he had asked him to come along with him for moral support. None of the other Gallants had probably even stepped into the desert, so it was nice to have something that reminded him of home. "Something like that..."

The two of them were seated on the only bullet train that connected the dessert to Middlemost City. The colder air inside the train felt amazing to them, as they were used to nothing but heat and fans that only circulated the air instead of making it colder. As the train neared the city, a set of orange and yellow eyes became glued to the window to take in the rich, rolling greens and turquoise blues of the forests and rivers.

"I'm so glad I came for this," Ansar commented excitedly as his beige tail swished from side to side.

"I'm glad that you're enjoying yourself," Sindri responded. "While you can. Remember that you're here to help me, not just to tour the city."

"Yeah, yeah," Ansar conceded with a roll of his yellow eyes. "What kind of best friend would I be if I let a bunch of guys gang rape you."

Sindri knew that he wasn't the most handsome of the desert youth, but he wasn't unpleasant to look at, either. Ansar's jokes about the Gallants fighting over him didn't scare him one bit. But, what if the lifemate he chose was masochistic? Or, worse, what if he was frigid? His mind was so lost on those seemingly insignificant thoughts that he didn't realize that the bullet train had arrived at its destination.

"Come on, let's go!" Ansar called as he walked over to the exit doors.

The apricot dragon took a deep breath and reached out to ruffle the top of Ansar's sandy brown curls with both of his hands. "For good luck," Sindri said as he walked onto the platform. Ansar's laughter rang behind him.

 


	2. Intros and Madhal

As soon as they stepped off the platform, a guard led them into the main fortress. Only cool air circulated through the hallways. The air felt nice to the desert dragons, but it was still colder than what they were used to. As Sindri and Ansar continued to follow the guard, they walked down a long hallway that seemed to have no end. The desert dragons stared at one another, preparing to say something about the length when they finally reached a ballroom. The room was immense and full of round tables. Intricately carved mantels and wood panels lined the walls. The ceiling was painted with gold leaves and detailed, patterned decorations.

Sindri was escorted to sit at the center of the room, on one of the round tables, and Ansar sat next to him. He was very, very nervous. His voice wasn't the steadiest as he turned towards his friend. "I know that I said this already, but I truly am thrilled you're here with me."

"Well, you're lucky that I managed to clear up my schedule in time," The beige dragon replied cheekily. He came from a merchant family and, as the youngest son, he was required to help the most. But, his parents treated Sindri as another son. So, Ansar was able to tag along with him with little hassle.

Sindri nodded with a small smile. Having him there with him really did help calm his nerves, even if just a little. They both looked up as a tall, elegant figure approached them from one of the four corners of the ballroom. As she neared, they realized that it was Solare Vitara. She was a white dragon with short, silver hair that was longer on the front and shorter in the back. Her eyes were an icy blue. On top of her head rested a silver customized crown that swirled around her webbed ears and dangled with tanzanites. She held a long white staff in her hands that tapered into a swirling, encased gem at the top.

"Gallant Sindri," She addressed. "I am here to introduce your fellow Gallants. Fear not. Though you see them in numbers now, you will interact with them one at a time." A small smile formed on her face. "I remember that, for me, the first impression was rather daunting."

Sindri nodded to let her know that he was as ready as he'd ever been. Just as the Solare had warned, the Gallants strolled right into the ballroom in a single line, stopping just a few feet before them. The two desert dragons had never seen so many colors in all their lives.

"Gallant Madhal is from the sea," She introduced as the first dragon stepped forward.

Madhal was an indigo dragon. His long, violet hair was set in a low, fishtail braid that fell over his shoulder and down to his waist. His azure eyes never left Sindri's orange ones as he leaned down to take the apricot dragon's hand. "The pleasure is all mine," He purred as he kissed the back of it before walking back to the end of the line.

So many colors, Sindri thought to himself as he saw the first of the suitors approach him. The apricot dragon was a bit surprised when Madhal took his hand and kissed it. "It's nice to meet you, too..."

"I'm sure he's pleeenty pleased," Ansar whispered teasingly into Sindri's ear, low enough for only him to hear.

Sindri blushed a little, lightly elbowing him. In his opinion, all of the gallants were more handsome than he considered himself even to be. Granted, they were all dressed in elegant garb from their home biomes and his 'desert' best seemed rather plain in comparison. But, the blonde still considered himself a touch inferior in comparison. He questioned, once again, the ancient magic that had chosen him to be the Solare representative and not any of them, instead.

"Gallant Ilohir is from the taiga," The current Solare introduced as the second dragon stepped forward.

He was a dark jade dragon. Ilohir was a bit shorter than Madhal and had short, sapphire hair with friendly sea-foam green eyes. "Looking forward to getting to know ya." He said as he shook Sindri's hand.

"Not bad, but not much of an impression," Ansar whispered.

Sindri personally agreed that it wasn't much of a first impression...but, he refused to judge any of them so quickly. He shook his head slightly as he tried not to smile at his friend. He should have known that Ansar wouldn't last long before he began to misbehave, even in the fortress.

"Gallant Kelius is from the grassland," The Solare introduced as the third dragon stepped forward.

He was a copper dragon. He was the shortest of all the Gallants, but that still made him taller than Sindri. He had shoulder-length auburn hair and crimson eyes. With a mischievous smirk, he quickly dove down to press a kiss to Sindri's lips. "Thanks for the taste." He snickered on his way back.

Sindri sat there stunned as he registered the fact that he was kissed before he could even put a name to the face. That was when Ansar stood up from his chair.

"Hey now! Don't go taking so many liberties, that goes for all of you. He's not some doll for you to play with." He warned as he sat back down, but his posture was stiffer than it was before and his yellow eyes sharper.

After Ansar's outburst, Solare Vitara gave a slight pause before introducing the next dragon. Sindri briefly wondered what she thought of Ansar, and if he could ever keep that kind of a straight face in the future. "Gallant Emyve is from the volcanic isles."

He was a beautiful burgundy dragon with carmine red hair that reached down to his ankles in intricate loops and braids. His hyacinth purple eyes narrowed as he carefully approached Sindri and bowed gracefully. Without another word, he walked back to the end of the line.

"Not very talkative, is he?" Ansar whispered to Sindri.

Sindri sighed as he realized that he was to be subjected to Ansar's opinions whether he wanted to hear them or not.

"Gallant Ruthed is from the rainforest." The Solare continued.

He was an aquamarine dragon with ear-length teal hair and honey-colored eyes. "You desert dragons are rather short, aren't you?" He immediately asked without thinking. With a soft curse, he frowned. "Ah, forgive me, I didn't mean to be rude..." He shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. "I think I'll just head back now."

Sindri blinked. "We're probably not the best comparison..." He replied sheepishly with a smile. Both of them were rather small, even amongst their own people.

Ansar merely huffed in reaction to what Ruthed blurted out. "He sure speaks his mind, I guess." He whispered.

"Forgive me, but we have had no word from the Gallant of the mountains..." The Solare apologized with a slight frown on her face.

Sindri looked to Ansar, wondering why that particular Gallant was missing. Before any more words could be exchanged, they heard someone burst through the doors from the opposite corner.

"Wait! I...I am here," Called out a sky blue dragon as he ran towards them. His white hair was in a low ponytail that reached down to his mid-back. His eyes were a slate gray color.

"As I mentioned before, Gallant Gonuret is from the mountains." The Solare introduced belatedly. If she was as unsettled as any of the others, she did not show it.

"I apologize wholeheartedly for being late," Gonuret began as he walked up to Sindri and handed him a rare yellow flower that only bloomed at the highest peaks of the mountains that made up his home. "I heard that your hair was golden and I couldn't risk it, you see. I would have regretted it my entire life if I didn't bring you one...whether you turned out to be my lifemate or not."

The apricot dragon smiled a little, feeling slightly touched at the gesture, as he took the flower. "Thank you. I'm glad you could make it."

"Not bad for being late," Ansar grumbled somewhere behind him.

Solare Vitara tapped her staff on the ground to get everyone's attention. "Please choose the Gallant that you wish to interact with for the rest of the day and the rest will be roomed in pairs within the Gallant Hall."

"What? Already?" Sindri asked, a bit surprised. "I don't want to play favorites. It's still too soon... so, why don't we go in the order that they were introduced?" That seemed fair to him. Some made a good first impression. Others seemed like they were nervous. "I suppose it's Gallant Madhal for today."

"They sure don't waste any time here, do they," Ansar scoffed under his breath.

Solare Vitara smiled, though her icy blue eyes were a bit sharp as they focused on Ansar's yellow ones. "And since there are no other vacancies, you will have to be the third roommate to one of the sets of Gallants, young Visionary."

"What?" Ansar gasped, his mouth falling wide open. "Can't I just stay with Sindri in his room?"

"I'm afraid not," Solare Vitara explained. "As the future Solare, Gallant Sindri must remain un-compromised until he chooses his lifemate. Until then, no one is allowed to share a room with him."

Sindri did not like hearing that Ansar couldn't stay in the room with him, but far be it for him to argue about rules that had existed for centuries. "I guess that can't be helped...I'm sorry about that, Ansar."

"Very well," Solare Vitara conceded with a nod. "Then the room assignments will be as follows; since Gallant Madhal will spend most of the day with Gallant Sindri, then Visionary Ansar and Gallant Ruthed will share his room. That way, you two have time to situate yourselves until Gallant Madhal returns. Gallant Kelius and Gallant Gonuret will be situated in the room next to them. And, Gallant Ilohir and Gallant Emyve will share the third room. You will find that your quarters are more than spacious enough to accommodate you."

As the Solare led the rest of the Gallants and Ansar to their respective rooms, Madhal stayed behind with Sindri. He held out his elbow for Sindri to take. "Shall we explore the fortress together?"

Ansar glanced over his shoulder mournfully at Sindri as he left. But, a wry smile formed on his face when he saw his best friend mouth 'good luck' to him. 'You too,' he mouthed back.

The apricot dragon turned his attention to Madhal. "That sounds great, actually" He smiled a little. Exploring the fortress was on his list of things to do. "Shall we get going then?" He suggested as he walked on ahead of Madhal, ignoring the elbow for now.

Madhal chuckled and shook his head at Sindri's bypassing his elbow. He was starting to like the blonde already. "Certainly."

The two of them began by walking down the long hallway again. Only, this time they walked down the other side. They ended up on yet another walkway, this one a bridge with open arches and buttresses that led to another building of the fortress. From there, they could see some of the different sections of biomes that met at the fortress. On one side, they could see where the sea met the forest, and the forest met the snow caps. On the other side, they could see the volcanic isles, the mountains, and the desert.

"So, everything really does converge here at the fortress," Madhal mused aloud. The two of them walked slower to take in the sights.

Sindri's eyes widened as he, too, physically saw for the first time just how the fortress truly was the center of all their lands. The view was simply breathtaking. "I've never seen anything like this..."

"Neither have I," Madhal replied.

After they walked in silence for a while, Sindri figured that he better start the interview process. "So, do you swim everywhere in the sea? What's it like?" The underwater city was just about the opposite of the desert tribe.

"We are adapted to being underwater, so we do swim frequently." Madhal began. "However, we do have shielded bullet trains leading to our biome neighbors and here to Middlemost." His gaze fell on the distant sea as he spoke. "Our city has many glass windows and doors, even on ceilings. We like to keep watch over the sea life even when we're not in the water. It is a tranquil place."

Sindri listened to the other intently as he tried to picture such a place in his mind. "I'd like to visit some day. The desert tribe is much more guarded and private. We seem to mind our own business, but we're actually very observant and loyal to one another." He had dreamed about visiting the other tribes one day. "What's your family like?" He continued. "I'm an only child."

"I have three sisters, but it's almost as if I were an only child, too. My parents spoiled their youngest child rotten," He explained with a wink. The indigo dragon took hold of his long, violet braid and held it up for Sindri to see. "Growing up with so many girls, there wasn't much I could do other than to not go against them. They loved the color of my hair and didn't want me to cut it. I had to figure out different ways to keep the entire mass of it out of the way. So, I learned how to make all different kinds of braids." A little smirk formed on his face. "Feel free to touch it if you like."

"That was probably bound to happen as the youngest and as the only boy, to boot." Sindri pointed out with a chuckle. Madhal's hair was longer than his own, and now he understood why. He reached his hand out to take hold of the end of the braid, a gentle smile forming on his face. "Your hair's very soft. You must take good care of it."

Madhal found that he rather liked seeing Sindri's smile. "May I?" He asked as he reached out to touch some of the blonde locks. The strands weren't nearly as soft as his own, but they weren't dry and coarse, as one would expect a person out in the sun every day would have. "You seem to take good care of your own as well."

"Ah..." Sindri answered, a little nervous. "I'm not so sure about all that. I wear a hood when I'm out, so I don't fry. It shields me from the sun and shields my hair in tangent, but I don't particularly give it any extra care." As the two continued to walk in silence for another moment, he decided to drop the big one. "So, what do you look for in a lifemate?"

"To be honest, I am shallow at times," He began without any hesitation. "I wouldn't want to have a lifemate that outshines me on my arm, nor a lifemate that does not complement my looks," Madhal admitted. "Physical aspects aside, just a good listener with a kind heart would do me just fine." His azure eyes were drawn to the change of colors in the sky. "Looks like the sun's about to set. We should head back. I'm not sure how cold it gets here at night, but what kind of a Gallant would I be if I allowed the Solare representative to fall ill on the first date?"

Sindri listened attentively. "You're very sincere. I like that. Thank you." He, too, noticed how the sun was setting. Though he wished that he could stay and watch it set, the indigo dragon was right. He couldn't afford to get sick. Instead, he nodded as he led the way to the hallway. "You're right. Let's head back."

::::::

"So...interesting hairstyle," Ansar conversed from a hammock hung high above one of the beds. He was sitting down in the middle of it, his legs swinging idly, as they both waited for Madhal to return so that they could get some sleep.

"Yours too," Ruthed replied as he motioned at the brown locks with his nose.

"These are natural curls, you know," Ansar replied cheekily, running a hand through the short brown strands.

"We have to find some fun things to do around here tomorrow." The aquamarine dragon suggested. "In the meantime, want to play a game of cards and stones?"

"Now you're talking my language!" Ansar replied as he dropped off the hammock onto Ruthed's bed, where they began to play. They were well into their fifth round when they heard a knock on the door. "Back finally? Guess we'll have to finish this later." The score had been an even two versus two, but their current deciding round had come to an abrupt halt.

"No one's naked, sadly!" Ruthed called out to the door, Ansar snickering behind him.

Madhal walked in, followed by Sindri. Ansar walked up to the apricot dragon and gave him a big hug. "Good to see you're still in one peace."

"Good evening." Sindri greeted them both before hugging his friend back. Spending so much time away from Ansar felt odd, since they were usually joined at the hip. But, knowing that he was there for him during such a big transition was more than enough. "What are we doing for dinner?"

"Someone from the kitchens came earlier to all the rooms to let everyone know that they were bringing dinner to us," Ansar replied.

Sindri sighed with relief. He didn't think he would be able to make it all the way back to the grand hall. "I hate to cut this short, but I'm still pretty tired from our traveling earlier today, so I'm going to turn in early. Good night, everyone." He gave Ansar one more hug before he returned to his chambers. Once there, he tossed himself onto the bed.

To make such a definitive decision after spending only a short while with complete strangers didn't seem fair to him. Madhal seemed nice and sincere, but he didn't feel a strong enough connection during their brief time together to want anything more than friendship from him. At least, not yet. The apricot dragon could only hope that, eventually, one of the Gallants managed to take hold of his heart.

He was still running the day's events through his mind when sleep claimed him. He didn't even last long enough to wait for dinner to come to him that night.

 


	3. Ilohir and Kelius

The following morning saw all of the astral dragons seated around a long, rectangular table. Ansar, naturally, sat next to Sindri. On Sindri's right was Ilohir, who had taken the initiative of starting their 'date' off as soon as possible. Madhal sat across from the apricot dragon, and the others were seated near their assigned room companions.

The jade dragon began the day by asking Sindri the questions instead of the other way around. "So, your people are supplied with water through wells?" He asked as he munched on his breakfast, intrigued. "Do you have any restrictions on the growth of the population? Is every family allowed only a certain amount of children?"

Sindri hid a grimace as he was tossed all of those questions right off the bat. Perhaps he was the one being questioned today? "That's right. We get it through wells. Not much water elsewhere in the desert, after all. Solare Vitara made sure that the well was constantly flowing during her term." He answered as he took a bite from his breakfast. Even as he chewed, the questions kept coming. He shook his head in a 'no' gesture before he swallowed. "No, there are no such restrictions. We have families like Ansar's that are rather large, where-as mine is made up of only my mother and myself."

Ilohir was curious as to what happened to Sindri's father, but he wisely chose to hold onto that question for a later date. When they were done with breakfast, his pale green eyes gave the apricot dragon their full attention. "Have you ever seen pine trees?" He asked as he led them outside. The jade dragon was feeling out of sorts in the fortress, but he imagined that all of the others felt the same.

Sindri followed Ilohir outside as they began to explore. "Actually, no, I haven't." He replied, his small, friendly smile in place. "Do you know where we can find them around here? I'd like to see a pine tree with my own eyes."

"Definitely," Ilohir stated. "Just follow me." He replied as he walked towards the tundra segment that touched the fortress. "I'm sure that most of us are already starting to feel homesick for their lands. Only you will feel homesick for an entire decade. We should be grateful to not be in your shoes."

Sindri felt his heart sink when Ilohir brought up the subject of homesickness. While he was happy to explore the places beyond his home biome, he knew that he would miss it. "I suppose you're right. But, in the end, we'll all get to see our homes again. So, we shouldn't get too upset, right? Speaking of homes, what's yours like?"

"Just like this," Ilohir explained as he motioned towards the pine trees in the tundra segment. "During winter, it snows so much that it coats everything in layers of white as far as the eye could see." He sat down on a large boulder and motioned for Sindri to sit next to him. "I can't imagine what it must feel like to be you right now. And, frankly, I wouldn't want to."

"Ah, I wish I could see snow up close. I've only ever read about it," Sindri admitted as he sat down next to the jade dragon.

Ilohir's gaze became distant as he gazed at the segment that was part of his home land. "Don't choose me. I ask this for both our sakes." He said in a serious tone. "I never would have imagined that I could miss the tundra so much and so quickly. I thought that I would be able to easily survive however many days it took for you to choose a life mate, but all of my thoughts are clouded with worry."

"That doesn't sound like mere homesickness to me. What is the source of your worries?" Sindri asked with a frown.

"My home biome has become unpredictable when it comes to the weather," Ilohir explained. "Storms and blizzards are familiar to us; they are simply a part of the colder seasons. But, the winters are becoming shorter. The air is drier. I worry that my biome might one day be as desolate as your own...and I mean no disrespect towards the desert."

"I understand." Sindri stood up straighter. He knew that this was merely one of the many things that he had to start looking into when he was officially the Solare. Ilohir simply wasn't ready to bear the responsibilities that came with having to live by the Solare's side. "Well, if you don't want to be my life mate, then may I ask what you look for in a friend?"

"In a friend? Perhaps simply the desire to become one," Ilohir replied with a relieved smile. "I would turn no one away from a friendship."

Ilohir and Sindri returned to the grand hall in time for lunch. Once again, the other Gallants (and Ansar) were seated around the same rectangular table. Ilohir took a seat across from the apricot dragon who, in turn, sat next to Ansar once more.

"Ansar, what would you say if I asked you to move here to Middlemost during my term as Solare?" Sindri asked in a low whisper.

"Me? Live here in civilization? Spare me," Ansar whispered back. They had only been there for a day and a half, and he already wanted to go home where he could have some of his freedom back. But, one solid look at his friend's face had him changing his tune. "I mean, I would if you needed me to. Is something wrong already?"

"You could say that," Sindri hinted.

Gallant Kelius immediately moved from where he was sitting and took the seat to Sindri's left. An unspoken agreement had been made amongst the Gallants to court the blonde dragon in half-day turns. They wanted to make the desert dragon's decision as painless as possible, but the majority of them were anxious to get everything over and done with as soon as possible.

Kelius himself was eager to spend as much private time with Sindri as he was allowed. "Do you like berries?" He purred as he held a strawberry to Sindri's lips.

Sindri's orange eyes settled on the copper dragon. He could feel his friend glaring at the Gallant as if he was getting to ready to protect him at a moment's notice. He let out a nervous laugh as he took the strawberry with his fingers. "Very much, actually. I like any that have a rich, juicy taste..." The only fruit he didn't like very much was bananas, but he really loved all sorts of other fruits.

A smirk formed on Kelius's lips when Sindri outright plucked the fruit from him to eat it instead of taking a bite out of it from his own hand. The blonde had spunk. He wanted nothing more than to get a rise out of him. "The juicy ones, huh?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow. "I wonder what other juicy things you would like the taste of..." He purred into Sindri's webbed ear suggestively.

Sindri blinked in surprise as his cheeks began to heat up, already having an idea of what exactly he meant. "That's not something to be discussed at the table, Kelius." He scolded with a little hiss, though he was a bit too flustered to sound authoritative at the moment.

Ansar sent Kelius a suspicious glare after hearing his friend's reprimand. "Hey, you better keep those hands where Sindri can see them at ALL times, Gallant Kinky."

Kelius leaned with his elbow on the table to shoot Ansar a smug glance. "I'm sorry, last I checked, that would be Gallant Sindri's decision, not yours."

Ansar was just about to chuck some of his food at the offending face when Sindri stood up to leave. "So, where would you like to go?"

Kelius deliberated for a moment. If he spoke what was truly on his mind, he would tell the apricot dragon that he cared not where they went so long as they ended up on any surface so that he could have his wicked way with him. But, out loud he merely said, "Why don't you decide?"

He thought for a moment. "Well, I haven't seen the market yet. Care to check it out? We might find something interesting," The apricot dragon suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Kelius conceded as they headed out. He paused at the doorway, making sure that Sindri stepped out first, before blowing a teasing kiss to Ansar. He let out a soft chuckle when he heard something slap against the door as soon as he closed it.

Sindri couldn't believe how many people and venders took up the massive market. "I didn't expect it to be so crowded! Though this may be nothing compared to other tribes..." After all, the desert tribe wasn't as big as the others, so their market was quite a bit smaller in comparison.

"Here at Middlemost, everything is seven times bigger than any single tribe. It was made with _all_ tribes in mind." Kelius pointed out. As they went from stall to stall, he kept a sharp eye for anything that stood out to the blonde. He certainly didn't want to be outdone by that Gallant Gonuret! He bought him a bracelet that the apricot dragon liked and made sure to clasp it to his wrist immediately. As they continued to walk, he slid his arm around Sindri's shoulders. "So, are my rivals giving you a hard time?"

Sindri did not expect Kelius to get him anything, so was surprised when the other Astral bought him the bracelet that he liked. "You didn't have to get me anything. But thank you," He began with a small smile. He felt the arm around his shoulders, but let him get away with just that. After all, it was far better than taking more devious liberties without his permission. "Trouble? Not really. Everyone's been kind so far." He paused to look up at him. "Hmm, you know a bit about me, but I don't know a thing about you. Is there anything you'd like for me to know?"

"I would prefer for you to find out for yourself," Kelius admitted. "But, I _will_ warn you of a few things. I tend to get physical at times. It's how I show affection. I won't do anything you're too uncomfortable with, but I will keep pushing until I figure out what that limit is," He grinned in a shark-like manner. "And I'm not going to give up until the end with this. I've taken a liking to you."

Sindri blushed when Kelius confessed to liking him. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. I like to see some determination in others." He admitted. In fact, he found it admirable when a fellow dragon didn't give up easily. "Well then, I'll get right to the point. What do you look for in a lifemate?"

Kelius felt some hope rise inside him from Sindri's words. "Someone that can keep up with me," He replied after some thought. "Someone that would not hesitate to keep me in line if need be. And, so far, you seem like you have the right kind of strength of will to be such a person to me."

Sindri smiled at the compliment. "Well, I'm honored to hear that. You are a bit bold, but you seem like a pretty nice guy." Kelius didn't seem like a bad guy at all, just daring and straightforward.

The closer they got to the fortress, the fewer people they saw walking around. Kelius was already calculating when he could steal another kiss. "Oh?" Kelius teased. "And how do you know that I'm not just nice when it's convenient for me?" He began to realize that there was something about Sindri's nature that allowed others to open up to him. If he weren't careful, the blonde would steal his heart before he was ready to give it. "I'll tell you what, this time I'll ask first." A sexy smirk tugged at his lips. "Would you allow me a kiss goodnight? It doesn't have to be right here and now."

"Call it intuition. I have a feeling you're a nice guy deep down, at the very least." Sindri replied with a small, answering smirk of his own. They were near to the fortress entrance when Kelius spoke again. A kiss goodnight? "If you become my life mate, then yes. Until then, I can't agree. But..." He began as he gave him a gentle hug. "I can allow this for now."

Damn. Gallant Sindri _was_ going to be dangerous for him, he just knew it, Kelius thought to himself even as his hands enveloped the apricot dragon in a return hug. "I accept only what you're willing to give," He pledged with a sigh. "Now, let's get you back before you skip dinner again."

A small smile formed on Sindri's face when Kelius accepted his conditions. "By the way, that's one of the reasons I believe you're secretly a nice guy." He said smugly before they headed inside. He was a bit surprised to hear that Kelius knew he had skipped dinner the night before. "How did...?"

Kelius let out a chuckle at the incredulous look on Sindri's face. "You were talking about it with Visionary Ansar in the hallway before we went to eat breakfast. That little friend of yours is rather loud, you know."

"O-oh, I see..." Sindri laughed a bit nervously. But, Kelius was right. He loved his friend dearly, but Ansar could sure be loud. He supposed that was one of the ways they balanced each other out.

::::::

Dinner was held at the ballroom that night. Once again, the Gallants sat beside the dragons that they were already familiar with. Ruthed and Ansar were exchanging parts of their dinner while Emyve looked on with a disapproving shake of his head. Madhal and Ilohir seemed to be carrying on a heavy conversation, from the serious expressions on their faces. Gonuret was lost in thought, but he immediately sent Sindri a welcoming smile as the blonde dragon sat across from him. "Did you have a pleasant evening, Gallant Sindri?"

The apricot dragon felt a bit worried seeing the serious expressions on Madhal and Ilohir's faces after what Ilohir had told him. But, he sent a Gonuret a smile in return with a nod. "I did. I've never seen such a busy marketplace. Though I worried, Kelius might go broke while we were there." He joked.

Before Gallant Gonuret could ask what he meant, Kelius gently tugged on Sindri's hand to show off the bracelet. "He's talking about this gift I bought him," Kelius boasted to Gonuret. "It will certainly last longer than any flower, I would say." He added in a scoff.

Gonuret's expression was guarded, but his hand seemed to hold onto his fork a little tighter. "I see." His slate gray eyes locked onto Sindri's orange ones for a moment and he gave a slight nod. "I could never hold a grudge against an inanimate object. The bracelet looks lovely on you. It can't very well be blamed for being purchased by a conniving Gallant."

"Call me conniving one more time. I _dare_ you." Kelius's voice fell to a low growl.

"This sort of behavior is unbecoming of Gallants, the representatives with the weight of entire biomes on their shoulders," Emyve spoke up from where he was sitting. His voice was deep and carried effortlessly down the entire table.

Ruthed and Ansar stopped playing with their food as they gaped at the redhead, as it was the first time either of them had heard him speak. Ilohir's gaze fell to the tablecloth in embarrassment while Madhal closed his open mouth.

Emyve stood up and walked over to Sindri. He gave him a bow of greeting and pulled out a chair for him, making sure to tuck it back in as the apricot dragon finally sat down. "Where are our manners? We should all be ashamed of ourselves." He concluded before taking his seat once more. In the past, the Gallants would refuse to touch their food until the Solare representative took a bite of his own. They would also stand whenever the Solare representative entered the room, out of respect. Though times changed with each new generation, Emyve still felt strongly about such traditions.

Sindri felt bad for even bringing the subject of shopping up. Those two were starting to get at it! He was about to tell them to stop when Emyve, of all the Gallants, put everyone in their place. Sindri even felt like he almost got scolded, too. After he was seated, he looked towards Kelius and Gonuret. "I can't ask you two to get along. But, please, refrain from any form of conflict when I'm around. I'd rather not see a bloodbath if I can help it."

"I apologize," Gonuret stated softly.

"Yeah, you're not worth getting in a tizzy over." Kelius drawled as he finally sat down next to Sindri.

Dinner was a quiet affair after that. Everyone ate solemnly and, one by one, began to depart for the night.

 


	4. Emyve and Ruthed

The next morning, Sindri was up like clockwork. He stretched and got ready to meet everyone for breakfast. He hoped that breakfast wasn't as quiet and awkward an affair as dinner was the night before. He finished up his morning routine and changed before heading for the door to leave his room. But, as soon as he turned the doorknob, he felt someone from the other side turning it at the same time. When he finally got the door open, he saw Ansar waiting for him. "Oh, hey. How long were you waiting outside my door?" Usually, he was the one that always sought out Ansar in the mornings, not the other way around.

"Shhhhh!" Ansar hissed before promptly grabbing Sindri by the elbow and all but dragging him into a large linen closet several hallways down. He propped the door closed with one of the smaller cabinets before turning towards his friend with a big grin on his face. "Well, you're halfway through the Gallants! How were numbers one through three? Fill me in, were any of them interesting?" He asked, curiosity bleeding through the tone of his voice. "I've been hanging out with Ruthed most of the time. And though he's fun, he's hardly lifemate material, let alone Lunare material. But, I'll leave that decision up to you. I've been trying to spy on Madhal, but lately, all he's been doing is talking with Ilohir up and down..."

Sindri had gasped when Ansar had hauled him over to a linen closet? He couldn't help but shake his head at his friend's curiosity. "I don't think I'm supposed to tell, but if you can keep it to yourself..." He began as he pondered over what to tell him. "Well, out of the ones that I've gone out with so far...I guess I like Kelius the best? I liked Madhal, but there just didn't seem to be any of that type of connection for me. And Ilohir asked that I _not_  pick him." He added, giving him some of the details that he could.

Ansar clutched his shirt over his chest as if he was in the middle of a heart attack. "K-K-Kelius!?" He hissed. "You've got to be joking! He's nothing but a complete and utterly perverted jerk!" He whined as he thought back to all the times that Kelius sneakily played around with him whenever Sindri wasn't looking. "I mean, do you have any idea how many times..." He trailed off as he took in Sindri's confused expression and sighed. "Darn. I guess I don't have much of a say in any of this...so, I'll just have to deal with it in the end if you really do choose Gallant Kinky, of all people."

"Thank you for your overflowing consent," Sindri replied sarcastically with mirth in his voice as he tried not to laugh too hard about his best friend's antics. "But, as I tried to explain before Ansar, I only meant that I liked Kelius best out of the first three. There's someone else that I think might be a good competitor already...but, I shouldn't make that decision based off of only a few exchanges," The blonde reminded him. "I'm only halfway through this."

"A-ha!" Ansar practically squealed as he reached out to take both of Sindri's hands in his. "So, there IS someone you're starting to like other than Kelius!" The creme-hued dragon's tail began to swish behind him in excitement. "Who is it?" He asked, but before he was able to receive an answer, one of the maids of the fortress began to knock on the linen closet. "Darn. Guess we'll have to continue this another time."

The seating arrangements were similar that morning to the way they were before, except that Emyve took it upon himself to sit between Kelius and Gonuret to keep a closer eye on them. As soon as Sindri neared the table, all of the Gallants stood up. Perhaps the redhead's words from the night before struck a chord with all of them.

Sindri was a bit caught off guard at such a show of respect. But, he recovered quickly and smiled at them. "Good morning, everyone." He greeted as he sat down with Ansar. His gaze fell on Emyve, noting that he made himself a buffer between Kelius and Gonuret. He felt a bit more relieved, having high hopes that they would behave at the table this time.

After a rather peaceful breakfast, Emyve stood from his seat and held out his hand politely for Sindri to take so that he could help him out of his seat. "Please, allow me." He then led the apricot dragon to a library within the fortress. No one was around, so they didn't have to worry about speaking too loudly.

"Wow, they have quite the selection here!" The apricot dragon gasped as he tried to hide his excitement at seeing so many books in one place. His home biome had archives with brittle scrolls and far fewer sturdy books. Sindri secretly loved to read anything that he could get his hands on. He was in the process of taking a book to browse through when Emyve spoke; more than he had ever spoken to Sindri before.

"The fissures underwater in my home biome have been unusually active, drawing forth magma." The burgundy dragon informed immediately. "Similar strange occurrences seem to be happening on a world-wide scale." His intelligent purple eyes gazed into Sindri's. "I know that choosing a life mate is very difficult, but I do suggest that you don't take longer than necessary in your decision."

"Ilohir was saying the same thing about his home...If they're happening on a world wide scale, do you think it could be due to a similar source?"

"I thought so too," Emyve explained as he reached over to pull out a book above Sindri's head. As he leaned over, the distance between their bodies dwindled down to a close inch. He smiled when he saw the apricot dragon flatten himself against the shelf. His blush was rather adorable, but he quickly pulled back to open the book to the pages he wanted to show him. "Right here it talks of the Astral Princess and her collision. We were taught that our ancestors knew nothing about technology, so they merely documented it as a 'Grand Earthquake that tore up the ground.'"

Sindri nodded, recalling the stories that the teachers had taught him when he was younger.

"Since then, we know that the biomes have constantly been moving in their own separate lithospheric sections." Emyve continued. "But, they've always only moved in slow, clockwise circles. Before coming here, I've noticed that a large space has been forming on the complete opposite central point of our planet. Something is causing the segments to slide down."

"I wonder when all of this began to affect everyone on such a scale," Sindri pondered aloud. "I haven't heard about such rumors in my village, but it could be because the elderly might have been trying to keep the younger Visionaries from worrying." He had even noticed that his own mother seemed to have been hiding something from him before he departed to Middlemost. Sindri hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now the changes in the planet were apparent to everyone.

"No one can pinpoint a specific time frame," Emyve replied. "For all we know, this may have begun centuries before we were even born. We're only now noticing its effects." He placed a hand on Sindri's shoulder. "When I've gathered enough information about what all of us have seen in our biomes, I will report to Solare Vitara so that she may begin to discuss it with the Sentains. You don't have to bear this alone."

Hearing the assurance in Emyve's voice, Sindri felt for the umpteenth time that perhaps he might not have been the best choice to take on the role of the new Solare…the redhead before him seemed to be so much better for the part. "I only barely noticed that something was off in the desert. I hadn't even heard of such severe changes elsewhere." He felt his heart sink a little at the thought of being unsuited for his position. But, he felt grateful to have such guidance early on by dragons such as Emyve. "Thank you. That helps more than you know."

Emyve felt that it was time to change the subject. He didn't want Gallant Sindri to worry too much too soon. "Gallant Sindri," He called softly as he walked with him to a spiral staircase that led to the second floor of the library, which was an open dome that allowed the sunlight inside. He pulled up a chair for Sindri to sit at one of the round tables near the center. "What do you look for in a lifemate?"

Hearing his question of choice, Sindri laughed a little. "I'm the one who's supposed to be asking you that." He thought for a moment about how to answer the same question that he had been asking Gallant after Gallant. A faint image of the Gallants that he liked the best so far popped into his mind, causing him to blush. "Ah...I don't think I can give you an answer. I would hate for one of you to start acting like someone you truly aren't." He admitted in a serious tone. "But, what about you?"

"You would subject me to the one question you don't want to answer. The reason I asked you was simply so that you can reflect on how difficult that question truly is. Try not to make an unwise decision based solely on the answers to that question." Emyve advised. "As for me, I am old enough to understand that what I would WANT in a lifemate is not necessarily what I would truly NEED." His hyacinth purple eyes took on a sad demeanor. "For example, I might love literature and might prefer solitude. But one shouldn't have to live alone, lifemate or not."

"All that I know for certain is that no matter who I pick for my lifemate, I hope that all of you will at least be cordial. Not only with me but with each other." Sindri said with a slight frown. "And you are right; no one should have to live alone. Not when they don't truly want to be."

"Please don't frown; it would cause me much worry if you were to be troubled over me." The redhead revealed. "I'm sure that the others would agree that you have a gorgeous smile. As Gallants, we would prefer to always see that smile on your face, regardless of who you choose for Lunare." He stood up and once again extended his hand to help Sindri pull himself up. "I've taken up enough of your time. Gallant Ruthed is an impatient dragon."

 

::::::

When they entered the ballroom for lunch, Ruthed was indeed the first person to greet them. "You know, for a redhead, you sure are predictable," Ruthed said as he folded his arms in front of him. "You brought him exactly on time, but not a minute sooner." He tossed Sindri a smile even as he sent Emyve a saucy wink. "Come on, let's eat so that we can have some real fun."

Sindri laughed a little nervously when he heard the aquamarine dragon's comments. But, he nodded and returned the smile. "I'm looking forward to it."

Everyone stood up once again for Sindri when he walked in with Emyve for lunch. This time, Ansar was seated on the complete opposite end from where Kelius sat. His entire face was glowing in a pink hue as he glared at the auburn-haired dragon. Gonuret, wanting to avoid trouble as well, was seated near Ansar and away from Kelius. Kelius decided to take the time to acquaint himself better with Madhal and Ilohir. Emyve took a seat next to Kelius while Ruthed sat next to him.

"Since Ansar and I are banned from not only the kitchen now, but the staff room as well…" Ruthed began. "I suggest that we take our date outside to the farmland to look at all the animals!"

Sindri felt a bit better about some of the seating arrangements, hoping that maybe they could keep the peace going. His gaze fell on his beige friend as he wondered what could have happened for the brunette dragon to have such an expression on his face. "That sounds fine to me. I like animals." He replied to Ruthed with a small smile.

"I wonder what kind of moon will be out tonight," Kelius mused aloud, his volume high enough to be heard from across the table as a devious smirk formed on his face. "I know that sometimes the moon is still visible during the day." The smirk widened as he shot a knowing glance in Ansar's direction.

"Forget this!" Ansar huffed and slammed his fork onto the table, storming out of the ballroom in a huff, lunch completely forgotten and his face a bright red.

Ruthed found himself blushing a bit, as well. "I'll explain all of that when we're out of here," He whispered to Sindri.

Sindri was stunned when Ansar slammed his fork onto the table and stormed off. "Ansar!?" He questioned, but the yellow-eyed dragon showed no sign of stopping. The blonde frowned and glanced at Ruthed when the other dragon began to whisper to him. Though he gave the teal-haired dragon a nod, it felt rather strange to be eating lunch without his best friend in the room.

When they all finished their meals, Sindri followed Ruthed to the farmlands. As soon as they were far enough not to be heard, he looked towards the other dragon. "Alright, tell me what happened. Why did Ansar storm off like that?"

Ruthed lifted himself onto one of the sturdy fence posts, urging Sindri to sit beside him as he glanced out at the pastures. Several cows reclined leisurely in the cool shade of the trees. "Ansar and I became fast friends from the moment he became my roommate," He began as he gently kicked his hanging legs and sent Sindri a wink. "We explored a different part of the fortress every couple of hours. We got into trouble in the kitchen when they finally caught us sneaking out snacks." His face fell a bit as he continued. "But, earlier today was a bit worse…"

::::::::

_"That must be where all of the maids change into their uniforms," Ruthed whispered._

_"The uniforms sure make them look good," Ansar whispered back. The two of them were peering around the corner of the hallway at the staff room as girls rushed in to change and came back out for work. "I think just about anyone would look good in that uniform," Ansar concluded._

_"I bet that I'd look better than YOU would in one of those maid uniforms," Ruthed challenged as the last maid left the staffroom._

_"You wish!" Ansar snickered. The two of them rushed into the staffroom to test out their theory._

_Kelius caught sight of the tip of Ansar's beige tail just as it disappeared into the staffroom. He rose an auburn eyebrow and began to turn into that hallway to find out what the two dragons were up to._

_Inside the staffroom, Ruthed and Ansar tied each other's aprons as they looked themselves over. They were quite a sight in the dresses and ruffles. And neither of them could stop giggling._

_"I think you're right," Ruthed replied in between the laughter. "You're shorter, so it suits you better!"_

_Kelius was quiet and stealthy as he snuck up behind them. Unable to resist the temptation, he reached down and flipped Ansar's skirts up high. The beige tail shot straight up in shock, and crimson eyes widened at what the skirts revealed. "Well, well…what a lovely well-rounded, pale full moon. I never pegged you to be the type of dragon that didn't wear any underwear!"_

::::::::

"Ansar's loud screech alerted the maids down the other hallway, and we were banned from yet another part of the fortress," Ruthed finished.

Sindri listened to the story, laughing a bit at first. He couldn't believe the two put those uniforms on! "That certainly explains things..." He sighed, hoping that his friend was alright. Knowing Ansar, the beige dragon would get over it eventually. He smiled at Ruthed. "Well, regardless of such events, I thank you for being such a good friend to him during my absence. I'm not sure how he feels, but I've missed having him around."

"He misses you too," Ruthed pointed out. "All he talks about are all the fun times you had starting from your childhood. He was kind of glad when you asked him to stay here during your term as Solare. He didn't want to leave without you."

"Really...?" Sindri asked, happy to hear that. He then hopped off the fence and held a hand out for Ruthed to join him. "Anyways, want to go look at the animals?"

Ruthed took Sindri's hand when it was offered and hopped off the fence as well. "Want to help me adopt a rabbit? They didn't say we couldn't have pets at the fortress!"

The blonde laughed. "That's true. But, to be safe, we should make sure that it's male. How do you plan on getting one?"

"From one of the barns, of course!" Ruthed said as if it were common knowledge. "Oh, that's right, your bullet train didn't pass by the barns on the way in. I saw all kinds of animals in the barns when I first arrived."

"They would actually let you take one?" Sindri asked, a bit surprised. Then again, many animals in the farms were sold. "Well then, let's take a look at them" He conceded with a smile, secretly excited about the prospect of holding one of the rabbits.

The honey-eyed dragon grinned as they neared one of the barns. He peered at a sign overhead. He threaded his fingers through his bangs to pull the wispy strands out of his eyes as he read. "Yep, this looks like the place." The barn was lined with rabbits of all kinds in a variety of burrows.

The caretaker beamed as she saw them. She was a pink dragon with fuchsia hair and lilac eyes. In her arms, she held a purple lop-eared rabbit. "Welcome! Are you both here to adopt? Feel free to look around!"

"I'm just following him around. He's the one that's really interested," Sindri told her as he smiled at the purple rabbit in her arms that twitched its nose at them. "Any of them catching your eye?" He asked Ruthed.

The caretaker pouted. "Why that's nonsense," She huffed as she placed the purple rabbit down and carefully placed a white one in Sindri's arms. "They need a loving home. I won't take 'no' for an answer. Each of you must pick one."

"But I, ah…" Sindri stuttered, but the woman had placed a white rabbit in his arms before he could fully protest. He blinked as he gazed down at the grey-eyed thing, smiling a little at it. "Oh, alright. But just this one, please. I'm not sure if I could care for more than one."

Ruthed snickered, leaving Sindri to his distress as he browsed all of the other rabbits that were up for adoption. A brown rabbit with red spots and purple eyes drew his attention. "Would you look at that!" He gently stroked one of the brown ears. "Doesn't he remind of you of Emyve somehow?"

Sindri carefully carried his new rabbit with him as he peered over Ruthed's shoulder. He caught sight of the brown rabbit and laughed. "He kind of does. And this one reminds me of Gonuret. I wonder if we can find the others in bunny form here."

A wide grin formed on Ruthed's face. "Let's take pictures of them," He suggested as he pulled out a camera from one of his pouches. "We'll start with that one," He pointed out a golden yellow lop-eared rabbit. "That's Sindri Rabbit." He declared as he snapped a picture. "Ansar will get a kick out of seeing these. Think we should bring him one?"

Sindri watched as Ruthed started to take pictures of them all. "Ah, yeah. He'd probably like that; especially if he's coming to stay here with me. He might like another friend around, albeit a small one." He answered with a small smile. "You must really like animals? You seem even more lively around them."

"Yep!" Ruthed admitted as he continued to take pictures of all the rabbits that resembled Gallants. They found Ruthed's counterpart in a teal-hued rabbit with light brown eyes. They found Ilohir's counterpart in a blue rabbit with pale green paws.

"We've found just about everyone, didn't we?" Sindri asked with a small laugh, looking down and seeing that his own rabbit had fallen asleep in his arms.

The two of them stopped when they came across two rabbits sleeping a few feet away from each other. One was a creme yellow with one brown ear and brown paws. The other was a dark orange-red with red ears and a red underside. "Are both of these male?" Ruthed asked, feeling goosebumps along his arms.

"The creme one's female." The caretaker said as she peered over at the sleeping rabbits. "The ginger one is male."

Ruthed reached down to softly pet the red underside of the sleeping rabbit. The rabbit blinked open its red eyes and peered up at him. "We'll take him."

Sindri gaped at the one that Ruthed had picked for Ansar. "Are you sure about this? That little guy looks a lot like someone Ansar doesn't seem to like at all." The apricot dragon warned. The rabbit himself seemed sweet! But the resemblance...

"Don't you see? It's perfect," Ruthed explained. "Whenever he gets frustrated with the real thing, he'll want to rant to his rabbit counterpart about it. The rabbit can't be blamed for what his dragon version does, so Ansar will only grow to adore it even more!"

"If you say so..." Sindri smiled nervously, petting the other rabbit with one hand while keeping his safe in his arms. "It's hard to dislike any of these guys anyways." He then realized how late it was getting. "We better get going. I guess I'll ask my questions on the way back to the fortress."

The smile on Ruthed's face was victorious. They both signed off for the three rabbits, and Ruthed paid for their food and beds to be delivered to the fortress. As they walked, he carefully held his rabbit and Ansar's rabbit in his arms. "So, what questions did you want to ask?"

"First off, tell me if you would like any help carrying them," Sindri offered. He honestly didn't mind, as he loved animals. Especially ones like rabbits and birds.

Ruthed peered at the sleeping rabbit in Sindri's arms. "Yeah, I don't think so. If this coppery rabbit is anything like its counterpart, it will try to attack yours." He commented in a joking manner.

"G-good point..." Sindri said a bit nervously. He sure hoped those two were alright at the fortress. Ah, but now was not the time to worry about that. "Hm, well...What are some things you like to do? Besides being around animals and causing mischief, I mean."

"I don't know. I just like to enjoy life, whether indoors or out, in good times or bad. It's rare when I feel like resting and keeping still, but there are times that I'm actually calm and serious." He gave Sindri an unsure glance. "I can't really look at myself through an outsider's perspective, so I don't know how to describe it for you."

He listened to Ruthed's words and gave him a reassuring smile. "I think I can understand." He looked down at his rabbit before looking back to the other. "So, what do you look for in a lifemate, Ruthed?"

"Well, I'm not one to be picky," Ruthed replied. "I can find the fun in just about anyone. For a lifemate, I guess it could be anyone who would actually want to deal with me. It's no fun being alone, you know?"

Sindri was feeling some major deja-vu. Emyve had told him something similar earlier on that very day. Hmm. "Maybe Emyve should be your next project. He talked with me for a bit, but he's still rather quiet." He suggested with a smile. "I bet he'd just be happy to have some company around."

Ruthed felt a blush rising right up to his face, and he ended up slowing down. "H-how did you know?" He asked in a whisper. "Did Ansar tell you about my secret crush on Emyve? He said he wouldn't tell anyone." His lips fell to a pout.

Sindri was a bit surprised hearing Ruthed unwittingly confess to liking Emyve. He quickly shook his head no. "No, Ansar simply said that you might not be lifemate material for me... but that was it. It was just that Emyve had told me something similar earlier...that no one should be alone." The blonde explained. "If you'll promise me to give him a shot, I won't pick you two. I'd rather that you go for someone you feel you have that kind of a connection with."

"Emyve said that?" Ruthed asked in wonder. "I…thank you." He said with a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I feel a bit more at ease that you don't seem to like Emyve, too. I promise I won't let this chance be in vain." He sent him a playful smile. "Besides, I know of a couple of OTHER Gallants that are certainly fighting over you…"

"I do like you both, but as friends." Sindri smiled reassuringly. He then blushed a little, having a feeling that he at least knew two of the Gallants that Ruthed hinted at. "I just hope that the fighting will stop once I've made my decision...though two of them certainly aren't making it any easier for me."

"Then may the best Gallant win among them," Ruthed replied with a chuckle, thoroughly amused about his new friend's dilemma as they walked towards the fortress with lighter hearts.

 


	5. Gallant Gonuret

"What is this horrendously familiar-looking thing," Ansar said dryly when Ruthed shoved the coppery rabbit into his face.

"Why, it's your new pet. The one that Sindri and I so lovingly picked out for you," Ruthed replied easily, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"We should skin it and toss it in a stew," Ansar suggested coldly, but at Sindri's disapproving glare he sighed and took the rabbit into his arms, a blush forming across his nose and cheeks. "I was easy prey today 'cause I was all alone, thanks to you two." He whined. "Well, it was technically my fault," Ansar mumbled in a low voice as he subconsciously began to gently pet the rabbit in his arms. "I kind of wanted a little payback for the skirt flip incident, nothing too dangerous…"

::::::::

_Ansar was tailing Kelius outside, trying to figure out how to get him back for what he did, when he lost track of him. "Hey, have you two seen Gallant Kinky pass by here?" He asked Ilohir and Madhal, who were both drinking some tea underneath a table with an umbrella._

_"I believe he's gone out to the lake," Madhal replied with a half smirk._

_"Try not to fight too much," Ilohir warned. "Gallant Sindri won't like it."_

_"Thanks," Ansar huffed as he quickly sprinted to catch up. Then, he saw him. Gallant Kinky was standing on the edge of a slope that was two feet above the water with his back completely open to attack. Perfect. He rushed forward and shoved him right into the lake. But, he didn't expect for Kelius to turn as he fell and grab him by the shoulders, throwing him off balance so that he fell on top of him. "Ack!" The last thing Ansar felt and heard was the splash of water that quickly surged up his nostrils and his mouth._

_Kelius resurfaced, swimming in place and began to laugh. But, his laughter was cut short when he didn't see a brown head come back up for air. "Shit!" He cursed as he dived back down. After much struggling, the copper dragon managed to drag Ansar's limp body to shore. He was straddled over the beige dragon's form, getting ready to check if the smaller dragon was breathing, when Ansar began to cough up the water. "Birthed from a pure dragon's ass!" He hissed. "What in the cosmos were you thinking, playing around water when you don't even know how to swim?!"_

_As Ansar's vision cleared, he was able to see the wet, panting dragon hovering above him. The dragon's shirt was a light color because it damn near turned transparent while wet. Ansar never realized just how well-defined the red-eyed dragon was compared to him. "I'm sorry," He gasped, his yellow eyes quickly glancing into red and then turning away as he turned his head to look to the side. "I'm sorry."_

::::::::

"And then he hefted me over his shoulder and carried me back to the fortress!" Ansar finished. "It was so humiliating…"

Sindri listened to the beige dragon's story, face palming himself after hearing it. "Just how was that nothing too dangerous? You nearly drowned!" He chastised before giving his friend a one-armed hug, as they both still held the rabbits. Desert dragons didn't swim; they did not need to learn out in the desert. "I'm just glad you're alright."

Ruthed shook his head in disbelief. "We're just lucky that Kelius knew how to swim too or else we would have all been in for a nasty surprise." He sighed, ruffling Ansar's curls as he walked past. "I think tonight feels like a good night to eat dinner in my room." He glanced over his shoulder at Sindri. "I'll have the kitchen staff send you yours, too, Sindri."

Ansar lifted an eyebrow as Ruthed walked away. "Since when are you two on a first name basis?" He asked suspiciously.

"Thank you. Good night," Sindri nodded towards Ruthed, waving him off. He looked at his friend and smiled. "Well, we're _friends_. I think that's appropriate, right?" He asked, hoping that Ansar caught the hint. He looked at the rabbit. "Got any ideas for names? I haven't a clue yet…"

Ansar smiled when Sindri labeled Ruthed as a friend. His nose scrunched up as he was reminded of the rabbit. "This one looks a little too much like Kelius to be worthy of an actual name. So, I'm just calling it Kinky Kit." He decided as he peered over at Sindri's pet. "Didn't the Astral Princess have white hair? Why don't you call him Astral?"

"Give the little guy a chance at least," Sindri pleaded with a laugh as he petted 'Kinky Kit' in sympathy. He then remembered the story of the Astral Princess. "Hey, you're right...I like that. Astral it is." He smiled, petting his rabbit.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll take care of him," Ansar conceded, a little smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks, by the way." As the words came out of his mouth, he realized that he had yet to thank Kelius for saving his life, though it was partially his own fault for dragging him into the water.

"Don't mention it."

"You should go eat and get some rest." Ansar pointed out. "Tomorrow's your last date, and then you have to start thinking about who you're going to narrow it down to for the next day."

Hearing his friend's suggestion, Sindri nodded. He felt the butterflies in his stomach flutter around; it was the part that he was most nervous about. "Yeah, running around with Ruthed has tired me out a bit. I'll see you in the morning." With that, the two dragons saw each other off to their rooms before eating dinner and turning in for the night.

::::::

The next morning, Gonuret was ready with a large basket prepared for his day with Gallant Sindri. His roommate seemed to go through mood swings every other day. Though he had accepted the fact that Kelius was a viable contender for Sindri's affections, there were days that Kelius seemed frustrated over other things. The auburn-haired dragon fretted over Sindri's dates, but at times he seemed too distracted to be able to even hold a decent conversation. Neither of them wished to have Sindri worry about their disagreements, so they did their best to stay out of each other's way.

Gonuret had been looking forward to this day for two weeks. The first week was the week that he had been chosen as a Gallant from his tribe. His people knew that females didn't sway him and that the males in their tribe did not fully interest him beyond friendship. But, he was still surprised when the cosmos chose him to court the new Solare. Since then, he promised himself that he would try his best to win over his heart, whether he was chosen or not.

The gardens of the fortress truly encompassed a magnificent private park. Acres of flowering trees, bushes, and ponds were segmented so that every other section had an open field of green grass. Gonuret felt it would be a lovely spot for a picnic…in the shades of the flowering trees with nothing but the sound of trickling water and exotic birds to take over any awkward silences. At the very least, he hoped that Sindri enjoyed a peaceful break while on their date.

He was the first to stand when Sindri entered the room for breakfast. He gave him a gentle smile as the blonde sat across from him. "I hope you had a good night's sleep, Gallant Sindri." He greeted. "We will be walking for a while today."

Sindri had somehow managed to sleep rather peacefully, despite the stress that would be on him later on that day. He sat down across from Gonuret, glad to see everyone seemed to be getting along for the time being. He turned his attention to the white-haired dragon across from him and smiled a little. "I did, thank you. I'm looking forward to today." Though, he wondered why they would be walking for a while. "Did everyone else sleep alright?"

There were some murmurs of agreement and a weak groan from Ansar on Sindri's left. The beige dragon had little to no sleep the previous night, though his pet Kinky Kit certainly slept like a rock. He figured it was due to a guilty conscience. Kelius seemed to avoid looking at anyone at the moment, simply focusing on eating his fill. Ansar stabbed at his breakfast half-heartedly.

Sindri noticed how some of the Gallants were a little too quiet. His best guess was that the nerves were hitting some of them hard, just like him. He had some ideas as to why Ansar and Kelius were so quiet though, considering what the brunette had told him the night before.

When they finished eating, Gonuret led Sindri outside and through a small maze that housed a water fountain. "For our destination, I thought it would be best to take the most scenic route. It starts through this maze."

"I just hope you're better at navigating a maze than I am," Sindri replied as he laughed a little nervously and followed him. He wondered what the basket was for. His webbed ears turned towards the sound of the water from the fountain. He was becoming anxious to see what lied beyond the maze.

When they emerged through the maze, they came along a path full of flowering trees and bushes of all kinds and colors. The gardens were rich with oxygen, and the trees provided shade from the sun. Gonuret took his time, allowing Sindri to explore as they continued along the path. "The scents of all the different flowers perfume the air in a light, unique blend." He commented. "The perfumers at the market would stop at nothing to retrieve any samples of this place."

The apricot dragon had a smile of wonder on his face as he took in the gardens. "I've only ever dreamed that a place such as this existed." He admitted as he gently touched one of the flowers. When he heard Gonuret's comment, he frowned. The apricot dragon could see why perfumers would want samples of the gardens, but if it affected the land itself…"They can't reach it, can they? It'd be a shame if something happened to this place."

Gonuret smiled when he heard the concern in Sindri's voice. He was right in thinking that the apricot dragon had a deep respect for nature. "Solare Vitara made a compromise with them. The staff took the seeds of each flower and formed a small greenhouse where they are sold to the perfumers." He explained. "But, to capture the scent of such a place would be impossible. No fragrance can match true nature." When they approached the patch of green that Gonuret had previously found, he set the basket down and spread a quilt onto the grass.

"That's good to hear," Sindri said, sighing in relief as a small smile formed on his face again. He stopped along with Gonuret at the clearing and watched him as he spread out the quilt. "What's in the basket?" He asked as he sat down. He was becoming rather curious.

As Gonuret sat beside Sindri, he finally revealed the contents of the basket. Containers of fruit salads (without bananas), sandwiches, and even chocolate almond bark were placed onto the quilt. With them, he pulled out a glass pitcher of juice, napkins that were arranged into the form of a flower, and two cups. "High on the mountains, we had a beautiful view of more than one of the biome segments. But, they were too far to explore fully. Beautiful gardens such as these are as new to me as they are to you. I thought that it would be nice to enjoy it together."

"I hope you didn't go to too much trouble with all of this," Sindri said. "Though I greatly appreciate it." Gonuret had packed many of his favorites, or at least, the favorites that could be packed up for a picnic. The blonde smiled. "I'm delighted you thought of this. I've been wanting to look around more areas like this, though I've wanted to see snow, too. There's a lot of it where you're from, correct?"

"Yes. I invite you to come to see my home biome one day if you wish to see it with your own eyes," Gonuret suggested. "Though, during winter, I'm sure that one of the biomes closest to the fortress would do..." He added when he recalled how the Solare would live primarily in the fortress unless it were important to vacate it for an emergency. He reached out to take one of Sindri's hands in his own. "How have you been coping with all of this? It must have been rather jarring to have been chosen as a Gallant, let alone as the new Solare."

Sindri felt his cheeks turn slightly pink when Gonuret took his hand into his own. No one had really asked how he been dealing with this except for Ansar, now that he thought about it. "Honestly, choosing a lifemate is the part that has me more nervous than anything right now. I only have a few days to pick the person I want to be with for the rest of my life...Not only that, but they have to be someone that can fill the position of the Lunare well." His smile became a sad one. "And I miss my mother as well...but, I know I'll see her again one day." Sindri squeezed the pale dragon's hand and looked at him. "How about you? I know some of the others are already homesick. Are you doing alright?"

And, just like that, the gentle squeeze of Sindri's hand and the sight of those orange eyes full of concern for him...they caused all sorts of havoc to Gonuret's heart. What would Gallant Sindri say if he told him that, right now, it was his proximity that was causing him more grief than the homesickness? "Like you, I'm more worried about your decision..." He offered a hesitant smile. "That you'll be able to choose someone that will make you happy. The Lunare won't be the only one there to help, there are also the Sentains, most of whom are wise. And Solare Vitara will be amongst them, as well, when she takes on her role as Sentain."

"That's true...but, it's still a rather big decision. I'm so afraid I'll regret my decision. I've never really found interest in anyone before, so I don't know how exactly I'd feel, I guess? I don't really know how to explain it," Sindri responded, ending the statement with a nervous laugh. "Anyway, enough about that. Let's eat. I'd rather that this food not go to waste."

Gonuret didn't think that Sindri would truly regret his decision. All of the Gallants were different, but any one of them would make a decent Lunare, from what he had seen. "Agreed." He said as he handed him a plate and poured juice into his cup. As he ate and heard the distant birds chirping, he felt himself relax more and more. He only hoped that some of the relaxation bled into the apricot dragon as well. "What is the highest you've ever climbed to glide back down with your wings?"

Sindri took a deep breath before slowly letting it out to try and calm himself. It seemed to help. He ate some of the fruit salad first. He had taken another bite when Gonuret had asked his question. He swallowed and thought. "Well…there aren't many high places I was allowed to go to...so, probably off of mine or Ansar's house, sadly." He laughed a bit at the memory. "You know, whenever I visit your biome I'll have to make sure to bundle up. If I've been a bit cold here, I'd probably freeze my tail off there."

"You might make it a longer distance from one of the biggest trees here in the garden," Gonuret suggested. "I could be your view point in the distance, not that I would mind if you fell on me. On the contrary, it would be an honor to catch you..." When the blonde spoke of the cold, Gonuret shook his head. "I would make sure to keep you warm...ah, that is, with the right clothing." He added with a slight blush.

"You might have to help me climb up. I'm not very experienced climbing up a tree, after all," Sindri reminded with a small smile. He blushed when he heard that he would catch him. The blush only deepened upon hearing Gonuret say that he would keep him warm. Though, when he spoke of clothing, he felt rather silly for what he had thought that the dragon truly meant! "R-right, of course." He agreed as he laughed nervously. The two of them ate for a bit until Sindri began to stare off at something. It looked like something moving around in the grass, but, it was too far off to tell what it was from where they were sitting.

When the apricot dragon stared off into the distance, Gonuret frowned. "What are you looking at?"

Sindri snapped out of it and returned his attention to Gonuret. "Ah, sorry, I meant no disrespect. I just see something moving over there, but I can't tell what it is…" He answered. He hoped that the slate-eyed dragon didn't think that he was bored, he was just curious about what was moving around. "I'm going to check it out, hold on." He walked over to where the movement was. A smile formed on his face. It was a small baby bird! It looked like it couldn't even fly yet. "Did you fall out of your nest somewhere, little guy?" He asked aloud as the bird chirped at him. "Gonuret, come look. Oh, and bring the spare napkins over, please?"

Gonuret brought over the spare napkins as he peered down at what had garnered the blonde's attention. He immediately looked all around the remote area, finding the bird's nest to be on one of the lower branches of the tree above them. "Here, carefully pick him up using the napkins," He said as he began to climb the tree effortlessly. He sat on the base of the branch that was below the nest and half dangled from it, keeping one hand on the branch and the other reaching down. "Pass it over to me, and I will place it in its nest."

"Sorry, I really didn't mean to get distracted on our date…" Sindri apologized, hoping that he didn't offend the other. But, he followed Gonuret's instructions without question, carefully getting the bird with the napkins. It didn't seem to panic much if at all, something he was thankful for. He then gaped as Gonuret rapidly climbed the tree. "T-that's amazing!" Though, he blushed when he saw the dragon's shirt sliding down, showing his abs. Sindri spaced out for a moment as he stared before he began shaking his head. "Right! Here, be careful," He said as he carefully handed the bird over to him.

The sky blue dragon carefully cupped the bird in his hand and lifted himself back up to a sitting position. He then precariously balanced onto the branch on his feet and reached out to place the tiny bird back onto its nest. Gonuret waited for a moment in case the fledgling tried to leave the nest again, but when he simply heard it chirp, he smiled. He then dropped to his hands in order to swing off the branch and onto the ground, wiping his hands together to get rid of any remaining residue of bark.

"I wish I could climb like that. You make it all look so easy," Sindri commented in awe at the other dragon as he came over to him.

As the two of them headed back to their picnic spot, they caught sight of the fledgling's mother landing on the nest. "That's a relief," He admitted as he gazed at them. "I never got to know my mother. She passed away when I was very young."

Sindri had smiled warmly upon seeing the mother bird, feeling relieved. But, his attention settled back on Gonuret, and he felt his heart ache to hear such a thing, but he knew how he felt. "I'm very sorry about that...I can relate. My father was buried alive in an excavation when I was barely a toddler." He confessed as a small smile began to tug at his lips. "I can see your mother being very pretty."

"My condolences as well," The white-haired dragon replied upon hearing about the death of Sindri's father. When he had suggested that his mother was pretty, a small smirk formed on his face. "Why do you think that? Could it be that you think I'm pretty in tangent?"

Sindri felt a blush rising to his face. The white-haired dragon's smirk didn't help any. "I just picture someone in my head, and I think she's pretty," He replied, trying to defend himself. But, he was certain that his blush gave him away. He really wasn't sure how to act around others when he was on a date. He had never even been on dates or been interested in anyone until all of this happened! "Besides, I thought being called pretty wasn't something a guy would smirk about," He finished with a small laugh, sticking his tongue out at Gonuret.

A playful laugh fell from Gonuret's lips when the apricot dragon became flustered. "It  _is_  something to smirk about when someone as gorgeous as you pays someone like me such a compliment. I'm truly flattered." He admitted as he reached out his hand to thread his fingers through the blonde's own.

Sindri felt his cheeks become even warmer at the dragon's words and the fact they were now holding hands. "Anyway, I'm curious as to how you learned to climb so well. You made it look so easy earlier." He asked as he tried to change the subject. "Think you could teach me?"

"It certainly isn't as easy as it looks," Gonuret warned as he stood back up, pulling Gallant Sindri up with him through their joined hands. "But, I will definitely help you learn. Let's find a tree that isn't currently occupied with a family." He instructed as they walked. He made sure not to let go of his hand all the while. "To start, we'll need to find a tree with branches that are low to the ground. Like that one." He pointed at a thick tree with low branches that were almost the same width as the trunk. He quickly hefted himself onto the lowest branch into a sitting position and held out his hand for Sindri to take. "Use my arm as leverage. Don't worry. I'll make sure you won't get hurt, so don't be afraid to slip."

Sindri smiled a little as Gonuret continued to hold his hand as they searched for a tree for them to climb. He watched as the sky blue dragon climbed up on the lowest branch before he held out his hand. He did as the other suggested, doing his best to get himself up on the branch. He did slide a few times, but he eventually got himself up there. "At the rate, we're going, I hope you're a patient teacher…" Sindri said with a chuckle.

"But, you're determined to learn, that's what's important," Gonuret replied as the apricot dragon sat beside him. "Take a look at the view." He redirected as they gazed out at the sunny sky. Since the tree was settled on a hill, they were able to see most of the garden at a higher angle as the rays of the sun fell on the trees and bushes. "Every time I look into your eyes, they remind me of the rich colors of a sunset." He confessed as his slate grey eyes settled onto Sindri's. His hand reached up as if it had a will of its own to cup the side of the blonde's face. The urge to kiss the apricot dragon beside him rose within him, but he ended up simply resting their foreheads together with a sigh. "As much as I would like to stay here longer with you, we should head back before the other Gallants cry foul. It wouldn't do for me to have had more time than they have." He nimbly hopped off the branch and reached up to lift the blonde's hips as he helped him down. "I would like very much to see a sunset with you one day."

"You're right." Sindri agreed, turning his attention to the view. It was a beautiful scene. His eyes widened when Gonuret drew closer to him. His heart started pounding, but they simply rested their foreheads together. He nodded in agreement with the other before getting off the branch with the other's help. "I'd like that very much. I had a very good time today, by the way." He said as he helped him pack up the picnic basket. He was glad to see that the food did not go to waste. They ended up eating just about all of it.

"I enjoyed my time with you today as well," Gonuret agreed as he picked up the basket.

"Oh, I never got to ask," Sindri remembered as he straightened back up. "What do you look for in a lifemate, Gallant Gonuret?"

Gonuret's face formed a serious expression. "Before today, I might have answered with 'someone like you.'" He explained. "But, after spending more time with you, I realized that there isn't _anyone_  like you." He reached out to take Sindri's hand once again. "What do I look for in a lifemate? My eyes see only you."

Hearing that answer, Sindri felt his heart skip a beat as his cheeks became red. He smiled a little. "That's a huge honor, thank you." The way Gonuret felt would also make his decision either that much easier or that much tougher.

 


	6. Sindri's Decision

 

Since he had planned for Gallant Sindri to have lunch with him on their picnic, Gonuret had let the others know in advance that they were to eat without them. By the time the two of them had returned, the other Gallants and Ansar were finished just about finished with their food. Solare Vitara was seated amongst them. They all stood up when they caught sight of Sindri.

"You are all free to do as you wish," Solare Vitara told the Gallants in a dismissing manner. "That includes you as well, Visionary Ansar."

Ansar, who was hoping to catch Sindri alone for a final debriefing on the Gallants, huffed and dragged his feet to his room. Kelius sent a glare towards Gonuret as they walked towards the room they shared. The others took off in different directions.

When she was finally alone with Sindri, Solare Vitara gave him a sympathetic smile. "Tomorrow you are to narrow your choice down. After the last couple of dates, be prepared to make your final decision. Do you have any questions or requests before then?"

Sindri watched as everyone was dismissed before turning his attention to Solare Vitara. He nodded. He already had it narrowed down. After his date with Ruthed, he and Emyve were out. Ilohir had asked him to not pick him from the beginning, and he respected that. He did feel a connection with Madhal, but it felt platonic...that left only Kelius and Gonuret. "As of right now, I only have one question." He said as he turned to look at her. "I know what my responsibilities will be after I choose a lifemate, but, what happens to the others when all of this is all over?" He hoped that he would get to see them again. After all, it would be a shame to start new friendships if he wasn't allowed to see them for a long time. "It may sound childish, but I do hope to see everyone again. I've made many new friends."

"That part is up to you as the new Solare," Solare Vitara replied. "The Gallants are usually free to go back and forth from their home biome to Middlemost. Most choose to have two residencies, one here and one in their biome. Should you need them, as you probably will soon, you can summon them to the Gallant Hall for any serious decisions pertaining to either a single biome or the entire planet."

Sindri was glad to hear he would at least see them again. All of them had become friends as well as dragons whose opinion he highly valued. "I see. That clears some things up. Though, I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions for everyone as we go along." He replied with a small smile. "Thank you again." That being said, the two of them bid themselves a good night and walked away.

::::::

Ansar fed his rabbit mulishly while Ruthed happily played with his own. "Madhal should just come out and publicly say that he wants Ilohir as his lifemate instead of Sindri."

"We're not allowed to choose for ourselves until the Solare representative makes his choice. Only then are we free to choose whomever we wish," Ruthed reminded him.

"Still, I don't think it's-" Ansar's reply was cut short when the door to their room was slammed open to reveal a fuming Kelius. "Ack!" He gasped in shock.

"One of you!" Kelius hissed. "Switch places with me as Gonuret's roommate before I do something I'll regret! I can't stand that stupid, goofy smile on that little fucker's face! All I want to do is punch it right off!"

With a shrug, Ruthed hopped off his bed and walked out of the room with his rabbit in tow. Ansar, who was still in shock, watched the teal-haired dragon abandon his spot without question. Kelius practically slammed the door right behind Ruthed on his way out.

"The freak's the matter with you?" Ansar questioned warily.

"I don't know how, but I think that pale punk managed to outdo me on his date," Kelius growled. "But, I'm not going to hand Sindri over to him so easily..."

"My best friend is  _not_  a possession," Ansar pointed out. "You keep talking as if he's some kind of trophy."

"Just what do you know, you're not even a Gallant!" Kelius retorted.

"Well, I know what  _not_  to do when it comes to the way I treat loved ones!" Ansar countered.

Kelius let out a derisive snort. "Oh? Kind of like how you knew what  _not_  to do when you shoved me into the lake without even knowing how to swim?"

"Th-that was your fault for dragging me with you!" The beige dragon huffed. He stood up to glare into crimson eyes. "And you've yet to allow me to properly thank you for saving my life. Argh! Forget  _thanking_  you! You don't deserve it."

The copper dragon's jaw dropped. "You are an insufferable spoiled brat with moths for brains!" Kelius declared. "Maybe I should have just let you drown!"

Ansar gasped loudly in an indignant manner. "You know what? Fuck you!" He rushed towards Kelius, ready to shove him hard with his hands when his wrists were grabbed, and he was pulled off balance. The next thing he knew, a set of full, soft lips pressed against his in a punishing kiss. His complaints became muffled, and then non-existent as a warm tongue invaded his mouth. Ansar's lids felt heavy, and he closed his yellow eyes as his struggling completely died out.

Kelius didn't know what compelled him to do such a rash thing, but once he started, he couldn't bring himself to stop. Why did the brat's mouth taste so good? The trembling tongue that hesitantly slid along his somehow excited him even more. When he felt himself becoming aroused, he snapped out of it and pulled away, his red eyes wide. "Shit. I...I didn't mean to do that. I was angry. I shouldn't have let out my anger on you."

Ansar's eyes lowered to the ground as he tried to hide his pain from the other dragon. "D-don't worry about it. It never happened. You can sleep on Ruthed's side. I'm going to get some fresh air!" He rambled as he all but ran out of the room.

The copper dragon raked his fingers through his auburn hair and pulled back on it in frustration. "Fuck!" He hissed, feeling more confused than he had ever been in his life.

::::::

Ansar was seated on a window sill in one of the hallways furthest from the Gallant Hall. His knees were bent, and his elbow was sprawled over them as he rested his head on his arm, gazing at the darkening sky with vacant eyes. Tears were still silently falling down his cheeks as he tried to uselessly will his feelings away. He couldn't afford for his heart to give way so easily for that blasted Gallant! Not when Sindri hadn't made his decision yet. The beige dragon would never willingly destroy his best friend's happiness over some stupid, sexy dragon. So, why couldn't he stop the tears from falling?

Sindri was making his way back to his room when Ansar seated upon one of the window sills. He smiled as he approached him, but the smile quickly turned into a frown when he realized that the beige dragon was crying. "Ansar, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

The brunette heard Sindri's voice distantly as if the apricot dragon stood further away than he was. Ansar didn't like to hear the worry etched in his friend's voice. And, he liked it even less that he was the cause of it. "N-no real reason," He replied with a sniffle. "Just kinda worried that the Sentains might not let me stay here to help you when you're officially the Solare in a couple of days." What he told him was true, but that wasn't what worried him the most. Either way, he aimed to ease his friend's concerns.

The apricot dragon sat down next to his friend. "Surely, if we both talk to them, we can convince them to let you stay." He needed to find a way to cheer the other up. "I can't tell you who, but I've narrowed it down to two people. I think I know who I'll choose now, but I want to see how the dates tomorrow go."

Ansar didn't know how he managed it, but he summoned up a smile just for Sindri. "Good. C-can't wait to see who it's gonna be."

::::::

The following day, after breakfast, all of the Gallants lined up just like they did during their first introductions. Ansar remained seated next to Sindri as the blonde revealed who was going to go on a second date with him.

"Everyone, I've narrowed it down to two people. Some weren't chosen due to private or personal matters." He started. He knew that Ruthed and Ilohir would be alright with his choice. He just hoped that Madhal and Emyve wouldn't be upset, in turn. "Gallant Kelius. Gallant Gonuret. You are the two that I have narrowed it down to." He only hoped that the two didn't try to fight each other over this.

Madhal sent Sindri a wink. "Well, since I'm out of the running, I'm going to go and compromise  _all_  of Ilohir's time," He stated as he held out his elbow for Ilohir to take. "Shall we?"

A flustered flush formed across Ilohir's face. "A-alright." He replied softly as he took hold of Ilohir's elbow. "Good luck to you, Gallant Sindri." He said over his shoulder as they walked away.

Emyve nodded in acceptance while Ruthed hopped from one foot to the other in joy. "Thanks, Sindri!" The aquamarine dragon squealed as he tugged Emyve by his wrist out of the ballroom. "Come on, Emyve, let's go do something fun, you big lug." He certainly loved the tall, dark, and handsome type.

Ansar looked over at Kelius, but the copper dragon's gaze was centered only on Sindri. With a sigh, he stood up. "I'm going to…take a long walk." He said as he walked away.

As soon as Ansar's back was turned, Kelius's crimson eyes followed the beige dragon's every step until he left the ballroom completely. "I have the first half, right?" He affirmed as his gaze went back to Sindri's.

Sindri smiled when he saw just how happy the others seemed with his decision. Not a single one of them had countered it. He was glad that they took it so well and he hoped that everything worked out between the two apparent pairs. He looked over to Ansar as he walked away, frowning and a bit, and confused as to why the other was acting that way. The blonde eventually turned his attention towards Kelius. "That's right." He replied before looking over at Gonuret. "Would you please keep an eye on Ansar until I've returned?" He asked the white-haired dragon.

Gonuret was surprised when Kelius chose the first half. The auburn-haired dragon had been so fired up about his having the lasting impression on Gallant Sindri the day before. Why would he want to risk his having the final lasting impression now? When the apricot dragon asked him to watch over the brunette, he gave him a reassuring smile. "Certainly," He replied as he headed in the direction of the beige dragon.

Kelius's hand formed a tight fist, and he almost scowled as he saw the sky blue dragon heading after Ansar. With a shake of his head, he focused his attention back on the blonde. "Forgive my distraction," He began. "Is there any place in particular that you'd like to go?"

The blonde noted that Kelius seemed strangely upset when Gonuret went after Ansar. Was he jealous? Or was it that the copper dragon simply did not like Gonuret at all? "It's fine," Sindri replied. "We can go wherever you would like. I'm more focused on spending time with you two today."

"How about we walk around the inside and outside of the fortress?" Kelius suggested, denying the fact that he didn't want to stray too far from the fortress in case Ansar got himself into trouble again.

"Good idea. That would give me a chance to become more familiar with the fortress, too..." Sindri concluded. As they walked around, he realized that Kelius seemed much quieter then he was the other day. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Kelius answered. "I'm not fully focused today, for some reason." As a quick change of subject, he asked. "So, down to the final two…is it that you couldn't get enough of me the first time?" A smug little smirk formed on his face. "Or did Gonuret not quite measure up to your expectations? You can tell me," His voice fell to a whisper. "Did you find his package to be too small to your liking or something? What's his flaw?"

Sindri's face turned red upon hearing Kelius's questions. He lightly punched his arm. "That's not it!" He said quickly. "I think I know who I have in mind to choose, but I wanted to take the chance to spend time with you both to make a secure decision. I've never liked anyone until now, so I'm not one hundred percent sure of what I'm feeling if that makes any sense."

A wide grin formed on Kelius's face when Sindri punched his arm. That's the spunk that he liked to see in the blonde. But, his face became a bit more serious when the apricot dragon spoke of his feelings. "Maybe I can help you a little with that." He offered as he gently pinned the orange-eyed dragon to one of the empty hallways. He slowly closed the space between them more and more. "Whenever you get too close for comfort with someone…" He said as he trailed a finger along Sindri's jaw. "Your body tends to react no matter who it is. You become nervous; you anticipate what will happen next…your body is on alert." He explained as he leaned down to whisper into the Gallant's ear.

Sindri had raised a brow in curiosity when he first heard Kelius say that he would be able to help him sort out his feelings. His eyes widened when he was pinned up against the wall, and his heart started to race more and more as the other Gallant closed the distance between them. He was so close that the blonde was able to see the dark red of Kelius's pupils and the few freckles on his nose.

"But, the trick is to sort through all of those reactions and realize what it is that  _you_  want to do. Do you want to pull the person closer to you, do you  _want_  them near you…or do you want to push them away?" Kelius slowly pulled back. "Well, Gallant Sindri? Did you want me to close the distance? Or did you want me to move back?"

The apricot dragon listened carefully to the copper dragon's words and tried to calm his racing heart so that he could think. "Honestly? I think that I wanted you to move back…"

A bittersweet smile formed on Kelius's face. "And I think I wanted you to say just that." He admitted. "Guess we both have our answer, don't we?" He asked as he stepped back and shoved his hands into his pocket.

"I guess so..." Sindri said with a similar bittersweet smile on his face. "Though, I still have some questions for you." He warned as he looked up at him. "My first question is if you think that you and Gonuret will be able to somewhat get along now that this is over? I hated seeing you two go at it before. While my feelings for you both are different, I still care about you both. I don't like seeing the people I care about fighting one another."

"Hey, we DID get along in our own way," Kelius half-pouted. "What's life without a little competition? But, yeah, I guess we never really hated each other…I'll try to keep from fighting too hard with him if it'll make you happy." He conceded.

"Kelius...I could hear you both down the hall last night after our date. Both you and Ansar are rather loud." Sindri pointed out with a slight laugh. "Speaking of Ansar, my other question is…what do you think about him?"

"What's life without a little rowdiness?" Kelius countered with a slight wince. He had forgotten that Sindri was just down the hall at the time. But, when the blonde cornered him about Ansar, he rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "Well, he's a brat with a head full of dreams. If he just kept his feet firmly planted on the ground, I wouldn't have to worry so much about him getting into life-threatening situations…"

"I guess I can't argue there," Sindri said with another small laugh. Was it just him or was Gallant Kelius becoming nervous while talking about Ansar? Hearing the dragon's final words, he felt a warmth building up inside. "It sounds like you care a great deal about him. Why don't we go find him and Gonuret, then? I want them to be the first to hear my decision."

"Damn," Kelius sighed as they walked back in the direction that Ansar and Gonuret went. "I just wish I could have stalled a little longer. It's no fun telling that pale punk right off the bat. At least we could have made him sweat it out a little longer." He complained with a smirk.

Sindri let out a laugh. "Well, we could...but, as Emyve said, I shouldn't sit around and twiddle my thumbs. I need to pick my lifemate as soon as I can. But, if you have any ideas, we can mess with him a little before I tell them." He acquiesced with a playful smile. The blonde could be mischievous too, on occasion. "Just don't push it too much since Ansar was upset the last time I saw him."

A devious smile tugged at Kelius's lips when he was permitted to mess with Gonuret. "Oh no, if we do it right, Ansar wouldn't have to be involved in this at all." He schemed. "Here's what we'll do…" He began as he whispered his plan into the apricot dragon's webbed ear.

The two of them were getting close to the lake when they spotted Ansar at the edge in the distance and Gonuret watching over him from behind a tree. When the sky blue dragon caught sight of them, Kelius waved him over.

"Congratulate us; we've chosen a lifemate," Kelius preened with his arms across his chest, looking triumphant.

"I see…" Gonuret replied, a nearly heartbroken expression on his face.

Kelius snickered and shook his head in disbelief. "I'll let Sindri fill you in. Excuse me." He said as he walked further down to approach the beige dragon. "Hey, haven't you learned your lesson about being near water without knowing how to swim?"

Ansar tensed, startled, before turning to grumble at the copper dragon. "Well, maybe I'm a bit of a masochist...anyway, shouldn't you be off somewhere with Sindri?"

Kelius kept a serious expression on his face as he spoke. "He's made his decision."

Ansar's yellow eyes flickered over to peer at red ones before turning back to gaze out at the water. "…Oh?"

"He chose the pale punk Gonuret, imagine that." He continued with a smirk. "Guess that leaves me sexy, free, and single..."

The beige dragon huffed audibly. "Ha! It's a shame that such rejection didn't truly bruise your ego."

Kelius walked even closer to the brunette. "Not when it's not Sindri that truly makes my heart race." He placed a hand on Ansar's shoulder and turned the smaller dragon so that he would face him.

Ansar kept his gaze pointedly at the ground, a slight blush forming on his face from the mere touch alone. "Th-then good for you. N-now just leave me alone," He hissed in a weak voice.

"Never," Kelius replied with conviction before leaning down to capture Ansar's lips with his own. "You're stuck with me whether you want me or not," He growled into his ear. "Lifemate."

Ansar felt a mixture of guilt and relief as he clung to Kelius's form and buried his weeping face against the taller dragon's chest. "I  _do_  want you." He admitted in a soft sob.

::::::

Gonuret frowned, feeling utterly confused when Kelius left him alone with Gallant Sindri. "I don't understand…"

Sindri felt a tug at his heart when he saw such a heartbroken expression on the sky blue dragon's face. But, he figured that he owed Kelius one last bout of mischief before letting him go. As soon as Kelius reached his destination, he turned to look at Gonuret. "Maybe I can clear things up," He began as he closed the distance between them and hugged the other dragon close. "At first, I wasn't sure of what I was feeling...but, Kelius helped me realize that the one I want by my side until the end is you, Gonuret." He explained before looking up at the white-haired dragon with a smile on his face. "I wanted you and Ansar to be the first to know."

Gonuret's breath hitched when the apricot dragon hugged him. His arms slowly wrapped around the Gallant's form as he spoke. That was when he felt his heart soar. "Sindri," He whispered, for the first time not calling him by a title, but by his intimate name. His hands reached up to cup Sindri's face as a rather stunning smile formed on his own. "I will be most happy by your side, in this lifetime and any others that follow." And he finally gave in to the urge, no, the need to kiss the desert dragon. At first, it was the barest press of their lips, but then he lost himself in the taste and touch of Sindri's mouth beneath his. The tip of his tongue slid along the dragon's bottom lip, seeking entrance, and sliding inside as the blonde's lips parted for him. Gonuret pulled his lifemate flush against him as their tongues became thoroughly acquainted, and he refused to let go until they were both panting for air.

Sindri realized that Kelius was right earlier. Right then, while his heart was beating wildly, he _wanted_ this. He wanted to be closer to him. He held him tighter as they kissed and was reluctant to part just because of the need for air. The blonde panted but managed to give Gonuret his most endearing smile. "I love you, Gonuret." He confessed before reaching up to place a quick kiss on his lifemate's lips.

The sky blue dragon felt as if his heart would burst. "The word 'love' isn't nearly enough to describe how I feel for you," He replied. "But, it's a start." He hugged him tightly once more. "I love you with my entire being, Sindri. Thank you for choosing me."

"Well now, seeing as how we're probably not going to be able to pry them apart about now," Ansar drawled as he approached the new Solare and his chosen Lunare. "Should we simply drag them into the ballroom for lunch? I'm sure everyone's ready to eat and hear the good news while they're at it."

"I couldn't agree more," Kelius spoke up from beside him. "But, easier than dragging them, I have another idea that could work."

"Oh?" Ansar wondered aloud.

"Didn't you once tell me that the new Solare is ticklish?" Kelius pointed out with an evil glint in his eye. "Ha! Look, he's doing his job already." He said when Gonuret shifted to stand protectively in front of Sindri.

"Don't you even dare; you two," Sindri warned with a half-pout. But, he blinked in surprise when Gonuret stood in front of him protectively.

Ansar rolled his eyes, tugging on Kelius's hand. "Come on. Lunch calls, guys."

Sindri laughed before grabbing Gonuret's hand. "They're right. Let's head to the ballroom. I'm getting a bit hungry."

Then, the four of them headed for the ballroom. When they entered, Sindri figured that they could guess who they picked since he and Gonuret were holding hands, but he still wanted to make the official announcement. "I've decided that my lifemate and the new Lunare will be Gallant Gonuret," He declared before smiling up at the other dragon.

Gonuret lifted Sindri's hand to kiss the blonde's palm and lifted it to his cheek. But, it wasn't the new Solare's announcement that had the others gaping and gasping in shock.

"K-Kelius and Ansar? Really?" Ilohir asked what was on everyone's mind.

"Cosmos, we're all doomed," Ruthed sighed. "I'll never be able to play a joke on either of them without the other one retaliating."

Emyve shook his head disapprovingly at his other half. "You shouldn't be playing jokes on  _anyone_."

Madhal simply laughed merrily. "It seems like everything worked out fine in the end. Enjoy the time you have together because tomorrow the real work begins."

Sindri laughed. He knew that the others were going to make a bigger fuss about Ansar and Kelius being together, but their reactions were funnier than he had ever imagined. He looked towards his best friend. "I have to admit that I was just as shocked as they were. But, if you're happy, I can't say anything else other than the fact that I'm happy for you." He smiled, truly meaning it.

"I am very happy," Ansar responded as he rushed over to give his taller friend a tight hug. "Thank you, Sindri."

"Well then, let's have a good lunch to celebrate!" Sindri announced after hugging the beige dragon back. "As Madhal said, everything has worked out fine but tomorrow is when we have to get to work."

 


	7. The Crowning

 

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Chapter 7: The Crowning

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Gallants (and Visionary) made quite the picture as they sat in pairs for lunch that day. For the first time since they arrived at Middlemost, there was no trace of awkwardness as they ate. Sindri's final decision had lifted the weight off all their shoulders.

Solare Vitara was treated to the sight of this pleasant lunch amongst companions as she sought out the Gallant of the desert, or was he perhaps a Gallant no longer? "Have you already made your decision, Representative Sindri?"

Sindri was glad to see everyone getting along. There wasn't a trace of awkwardness, much to his enjoyment. He looked over to Solare Vitara, a small smile forming on his face. "Yes, I have. I have chosen Gallant Gonuret to be the new Lunare as well as my lifemate." He said, taking the sky blue dragon's hand into his.

"Then, tonight shall be your crowning and my transcending," She concluded with a smile. "Soon, he will be addressed by Solare Sindri." She reminded everyone. "Treat him well and with his due respect."

Sindri nodded, gently squeezing Gonuret's hand. He looked over at him then smiled. "I feel like I'm a bit more ready to be Solare now…" At first, he wasn't entirely sure if he was right for the job. He barely accepted it. But, things were different now that he had so many friends to count on and a lifemate to lean on.

Gonuret couldn't have been more pleased. He returned the squeeze and leaned over to whisper into Sindri's ear. "I will always be right here by your side, beloved."

The apricot dragon was glad to hear those words.

"I suggest that we all stay here in the fortress until a decision has been made on the weather and tectonic shifting that has been affecting the planet," Gallant Emyve stated. He sent Ruthed a little smirk. "With better room assignments, of course."

"Good idea," Sindri agreed, "I'd feel much better if you all stayed nearby until it calms down. All of you can lend a helpful perspective on this..."

"Agreed," Solare Vitara conceded as she left the group to begin the preparations for Sindri's crowning and to gather all of the Sentains.

Ansar placed his elbows on the table as soon as she left, resting his chin on his hands. "Now, I heard that the Solares keep their staffs as Sentains, but isn't there a special goldsmith that personalizes the crown of each Solare? I wonder if he's an ancient dragon or if the craft gets passed down, as well."

"The goldsmith certainly couldn't have outlived a retired Sentain," Kelius pointed out with a laugh.

Sindri glanced at Ansar and laughed a little. "I'm sure that the craft gets handed down...Think of how old he would have to be if he was still around from the beginning!"

An embarrassed blush streaked across Ansar's nose and cheeks. "W-well didn't dragons live longer back in the day? I mean the goldsmiths are just about the only ones with any magic left in them to form things like that, aren't they?"

A strange look came across Emyve's face at Ansar's comment. He turned slightly to look directly at Ansar, and then shifted to peer towards Sindri. "Your friend can be quite clever at times." He concluded. "I think that I may have a theory upon the theory that I spoke to you about."

"That is a good point..." Sindri said when Ansar explained himself. He looked at Emyve when he spoke again. "Well, we have a feeling that the source of this shifting lies upon the opposite central point of the planet…" He informed the others. "Other than that, I haven't a clue as to what you could be thinking."

"I will go into more detail after the ceremony," Emyve explained. "For now, I propose a toast." He added as he lifted his glass, prompting the others to lift their glasses. "May we continue to keep the balance during our term and help protect the future generations of Visionaries and Gallants to come."

"Let's all do our best," Sindri added.

"I can toast to that," Ruthed said as he touched his glass to Emyve's. The other Gallants, along with Ansar, touched the glasses of their neighbors and they all took a sip of their drinks.

After lunch, they were free to do as they wished until sunset. Madhal and Ilohir paid a visit to the library. Ruthed managed to convince Emyve to join him on a stroll outside. Kelius and Ansar moved into their re-assigned room. And Gonuret moved into Sindri's room.

The white-haired dragon stared in awe at the size of Sindri's chambers. "I thought that the Gallant Hall had excessively large rooms. I was wrong..."

Sindri came with Gonuret to get his things from his room before leading him to his room. He opened the door and watched as Gonuret's mouth dropped in awe. The smaller dragon reached up to close the other dragon's gaping mouth by putting his hand under his jaw. "I'm just glad to finally have someone to share the room with. It's been a bit lonely in here."

A blush rose to Gonuret's face as his mind subconsciously tossed him a few naughty thoughts upon hearing Sindri's words. But, he merely cleared his throat and glanced towards the indoor spa. "Would you like to take the first turn? I could unpack while you relax in the water."

Sindri looked at him and smiled a little. He shook his head. "I have a better idea. How about I help you unpack then we can both relax in the spa? I mean, if you want."

Gonuret nearly dropped the bag of clothing he held in his hands at Sindri's open invitation. The blush on his face spread right down to his neck. He forced himself to take a deep breath and think logically. They weren't officially Solare and Lunare just yet. The blonde had to know that Gonuret wouldn't dare compromise him before the ceremony, which meant that the invite simply was to relax side by side. "Yes," He replied calmly. "I would like nothing more than to join you."

Sindri was amused when he saw the white-haired dragon's face and neck turning red. He let out a light laugh. "Looks like I'm not the only one that blushes easily here." Though, the blush was more noticeable on Gonuret's skin than his own, since it was fair. He helped the sky-blue dragon unpack his bag and put his clothes up. He couldn't help but shake his head seeing that, even with both their bags unpacked, they still had much more space to place clothes and other objects in the closet and drawers.

"Hmm, perhaps if we ever decide to adopt, we could make more use of the closet," Gonuret pondered aloud.

Sindri nodded before smiling a little. "We could try filling it ourselves. But, I do like the idea of adopting one day."

When everything was sorted, Gonuret pulled out two soft towels from the rack on the wall and headed towards the spa. He set the towels on the counter and reached behind him to undo the tie from his hair. "Set the water to the temperature you prefer," He said as he pulled his shirt over his head. "I'm not picky."

Sindri went over to fill the jacuzzi with water. "I'll set it to warm to relax our muscles. But, not hot." While it filled up, he let his hair down and started to undress. He looked over at Gonuret, blushing as he saw him take his shirt off before quickly looking away so that the dragon wouldn't catch him staring.

Slate grey eyes were drawn to Sindri's hair when it was released. The golden locks were a stunning sight trailing along the apricot dragon's back and wings. He was so lost in gazing at the other dragon that he forgot what he was even doing. With a shake of his head, he removed his remaining clothes and carefully stepped into the tub until he was waist deep in the warm water. Only then did he let out the breath that he didn't realize he was holding. "The water's just right. The warmth is very soothing."

"I agree..." Sindri said as he removed his clothing and settled in next to Gonuret. "I feel better already."

Gonuret completely submerged himself underwater and swam to the other side of the immense tub to retrieve one of the many bottles of shampoo and conditioner that were lined up along the side. As he held one to his nose, he noted that the scent was similar to one of the many flowers in the gardens. He made his way over to Sindri. "Would you like me to help wash your hair?" He offered.

Sindri watched as Gonuret swam over to the shampoo bottles. "You looked like a fish just now," He admitted with a small laugh. "And, sure. You can if you want." He closed his eyes as the other dragon lathered the shampoo, looking entirely content and relaxed. The sky-blue dragon had already found a weak spot. Sindri enjoyed having his head rubbed. "You're going to put me to sleep at this rate...that feels good."

The sky-blue dragon enjoyed the sensation of Sindri's hair in his hands as he carefully cleansed the locks. A smile formed on his face when the apricot dragon admitted to enjoying it. Emboldened by the comment, he began to gently massage the back of Sindri's neck and shoulders as well. "We can't quite have you fall asleep before the ceremony," He whispered. "But, a small nap could be arranged should you want to rest."

"I can survive until it's time for bed. I just enjoy getting my head rubbed a little too much…" Sindri admitted to him. "If someone does it for too long, I fall asleep." Though, with the way Gonuret was massaging him, he might be too relaxed to even get up and move during the ceremony. "When you're done, I want to do this for you as well, Gonuret."

When he finished rinsing out the golden hair, Gonuret placed a soft kiss on Sindri's cheek and handed him the bottles for him to return the favor. "Thank you."

Sindri's hair and entire body felt so much better after that. The apricot dragon blushed when he felt the kiss on his the cheek and smiled. He then took the shampoo bottle and lathered it up. At least the other dragon's hair wasn't as long as his own. "Does this feel alright?"

"Sindri, that feels wonderful," Gonuret practically purred. When they were finally through washing up, he left the tub first to retrieve their towels. The white-haired dragon dried himself and tied the towel around his waist before coming back to wrap Sindri into his own towel.

"That's good to hear. I've never done something like this before…" Sindri sighed in relief, glad to hear he could help the other dragon relax as well. When they were done, a blush returned to the blonde's face as he got an eyeful of Gonuret's bared backside. 'I need to exercise more...I really am scrawny compared to most of them' he thought to himself.

Gonuret took the apricot dragon's hand and led him over to take a seat as he rubbed a scented oil into the blonde locks and combed it through. "They say that sometimes when a Solare is crowned, the magic used to form the crown awakens the dormant magic in your genes. The same could be said about the Lunare's gauntlet."

The blonde closed his eyes in contentment as his hair was combed, feeling the oils already having an effect on his scalp. "Dormant magic? I never even considered that we could tap into such power." He smiled, looking up at Gonuret curiously. "What kind of magic do you think we'd get if that does happen?"

"Solare Vitara was rumored to have been able to make her voice carry across from one side of the fortress to another and to make the sound of her staff hitting the ground many times louder than usual," Gonuret commented. "I wonder if it's different for every dragon." He moved to sit in front of Sindri, handing him the brush and comb. "As for me, I would prefer any power that would further help to protect you."

"That's amazing..!" Sindri blinked, grabbing the comb and started to gently comb Gonuret's hair as well. He then laughed. "You do know that if you get powers of ice, I'm going to be asking you to make it snow, right?" He was half joking and half serious. He hoped that one day they could show each other their home biomes. When he finished, he hugged Gonuret from behind.

Gonuret couldn't help but laugh as he pictured Sindri's ideal powers in his mind while they switched places and he sat down. "When winter hits, I will be sure to sneak you out to one of the nearest snowing biomes." He promised. His hands reached up to rest on the blonde's arms when he was hugged. "Come," He said with a sigh. "If I don't help you prepare for the ceremony now, I'll be tempted to simply keep you to myself until the sun rises."

Sindri couldn't help but laugh hearing Gonuret's own laughter. "I like your laugh..." He admitted with a smile. He nodded as he was reminded that they had to get ready for the ceremony. "Good point. I can't very well miss it, or go in just a towel strolling down the hall..."

"If you went in just a towel, I don't believe that I would be able to focus on the ceremony at all," Gonuret admitted as he stood back up and pulled Sindri along with him. He planted a gentle kiss on the apricot dragon's lips before leading them back to the bedroom. Two sets of clothes were set on top of the bed that weren't there before. "Hmm, I wonder if one of the maids dropped them off while we were in the spa."

The soon-to-be Solare shook his head upon hearing that. He blushed when he felt the kiss on the lips, but nothing could make him stop smiling. "Oh, yeah, the maids seem to come in and drop things off when I'm out of the room. I've rarely seen them."

The clothing was traditional and elegant, each with colors that represented their home biomes. "They must be our ceremony ensembles," Gonuret mused as he began to change into his. The pants were tight and dark, in stark contrast to the embroidered tailcoat that was the same sky blue as his very tail. The coat was lined with a dark grey that brought out the color of his eyes. The blouse underneath was white, but barely visible. The buttons down his jacket were silver. He chose to wear his hair loose and out of its usual ponytail for the ceremony.

"It would appear so...I don't know what else we'd be wearing these for." Sindri said as he began to change. His pants were tight and dark brown. His tailcoat was the same apricot hue as his tail and was lined with a golden yellow. The blouse underneath was a ruby red. All of the buttons on his jacket were gold. He looked over, seeing the white-haired dragon fully dressed. His eyes widened, and he felt his face turn red again. Funny how Gonuret could do that to him without even meaning to! He smiled seeing the other look his way. "That looks stunning on you. Blue's a good color on you."

The barest of smirks tugged on Gonuret's lips. "I will have to remember that." If it caused Sindri to look at him in that manner, he would wear blue clothing every day. "You look quite stunning yourself." He said as he circled the blonde to see him at all angles. "Shall we?" He asked as he held out his hand.

"I like blue and red, so that's a bonus for me," Sindri added. He was glad to hear that he looked alright. "Thank you, Gonuret." He took Gonuret's hand in his. "Let's get going then."

::::::

As Kelius took a closer look at Ansar's rabbit, he felt rather pleased. Why, the little thing shared a lot of his colors. When he read the nameplate under its bed, he was even more pleased. 'Kinky Kit' indeed. He was about to say as much to Ansar, who was shifting his clothes aside in the closet to make room for his when a white rabbit hopped closer to Kinky Kit. Kelius's red eyes narrowed. "Why do you have two rabbits? Where did this white one come from?" He asked dryly.

"The white one's Sindri's," Ansar replied without looking around, as he was busy hanging up Kelius's clothes. "I've been taking care of it while he went on his dates and haven't been able to give it back yet with all the commotion. His name is Astral."

"Astral?" Kelius confirmed. Well, at least it wasn't Gonuret. "Then his nickname from me will be 'Asshole.' It's close enough to its real name."

"Hey, you shouldn't take it out on the rabbit just because of his resemblance to someone you don't like," Ansar chastised.

"Says the dragon who named his rabbit 'Kinky Kit' in vengeance," Kelius muttered.

Ansar finished up hanging up the last of the copper dragon's clothes and walked over to the sulking form in front of the rabbits. "Are you...sulking?"

"That pale punk didn't try anything with you when you two were alone, did he?" Kelius wondered wearily.

"What? No," Ansar replied incredulously. "I mean, I knew he was following me from a distance, but he didn't say a word."

"Good," Kelius stated firmly as he pulled Ansar's form flush against his own and glared down at the white rabbit. "Tell your counterpart that I may have _let_ him have Sindri, but he'd be dreaming if he thought that I would ever let him even _touch_ my Ansar."

Ansar burst out laughing even as his cheeks became pink. "Threatening Astral won't accomplish anything, you know."

"As far as _you_ believe," Kelius countered. "If I convey my warning hard enough, I'm sure that Gonuret will get the message even through little 'Asshole.'"

"If you say so."

A devious glint formed in Kelius's eyes as he maneuvered them towards the bed. "We still have some time before the ceremony, don't we?"

"Yeah," Ansar replied warily. "Whoa!" He gasped when he was suddenly lifted and tossed onto the bed.

Kelius crawled over Ansar's form, grinding his lower half against the beige dragon while keeping the weight of his upper half on his elbows. His red eyes seemed to turn a shade darker as he peered down at his prey. "Why don't we pick up where we left off earlier?" He suggested in a low rumble as his copper tail swished from side to side.

"Hah," Ansar gasped and bit his lower lip as the pink hue spread over his face. "I-If you want to." He replied breathlessly.

A predatory grin formed on Kelius's face shortly before he dove down to kiss the Visionary. His tongue greedily stole its way inside his mouth to lay claim to every surface it could find. He sucked on the brunette's tongue until it began to move against his own and Kelius reveled once again at Ansar's taste.

The beige dragon had become a mess of whimpers and moans that were muffled by their fervent kisses. Kelius's hands tugged up the smaller dragon's shirt high, and they began to explore his skin, trailing fingers along dusky buds when a loud gasp was heard from the doorway. The growl that escaped from Kelius's lips was reminiscent of the pure dragons as he turned to give the full force of his glare to the maid that stood at the door.

"Forgive me! I knocked, and no one answered, so I thought..." The maid trailed off. "I-I just came to drop off your clothes for the ceremony!" She squeaked as she left the clothes on top of the cabinet and ran away.

Kelius let out a long sigh. "... _Damn_ it."

Ansar smiled sheepishly up at him. "The sooner we get the ceremony started, the sooner we can get back?" He suggested.

"That better be a promise," Kelius whined with a half-pout.

Ansar couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled up from his chest. "Yes, if nothing else happens by then."

"I will barricade the door if I have to."

::::::

Madhal and Ilohir had gone to the library to brush up on their knowledge of how the crowning ceremony played out. According to the information they found, the Gallants stood on either side of the new Solare as he was escorted by the new Lunare towards the 'throne.' In the past, the Solare really did have a traditional throne to sit in, but as the fortress evolved, the throne room became more like a reception hall. Though there was no longer a throne, the forefront of the hall was where the Solare would be crowned. The goldsmith would then have the new Solare choose a long, wire-like metal from his hand that varied from silver, gold, copper, platinum, and even pewter. From that long 'wire,' the goldsmith would then fashion a unique headpiece for the Solare to wear during his term. The goldsmith would then give the remaining option of metals to the Lunare and fashion him a unique gauntlet. Afterward, the old Solare would hand the new Solare a staff with a color that corresponded to the new Solare's home biome. And then, all of them would bow respectfully.

"Sounds simple enough," Madhal commented as he walked with Ilohir down the Gallant hall to their newly assigned room. "I think the most complicated thing will be to figure out how to put on the different parts of our ceremony clothes."

Ilohir nodded hearing Madhal. "Looks like all we really do is stand there and give support by our mere presence." When Emyve brought up the subject of their ceremony clothes, he spoke again. "Y-yeah, I saw the maids dropping off everyone's clothes earlier. I've never seen so many buttons on one outfit!" Everyone's clothes had buttons all over them."

Madhal smiled down at the blue-haired dragon. "I could help you fasten all of those buttons if you like," He offered. Though, somewhere in the back of his mind, he would prefer to help Ilohir _un_ -fasten the buttons.

Ilohir looked up at Madhal, making an angry looking pout. "Something tells me you're thinking something else in the back of your mind..." He shook his head. "B-but I'll help you button yours if you help me with mine."

"Agreed," Madhal replied, a smirk sneaking onto his face at Ilohir's sharp senses. As they walked into their room, they caught sight of the last maid running for dear life out of Kelius and Ansar's room. How curious.

"I have a feeling we're better off not knowing…" Ilohir commented a bit nervously as the maid rounded the far corner and kept running.

Their ceremony clothes were set on the bed. The deep greens were surely meant for Ilohir's smaller frame. Madhal's had violets and deep blue. He was pleased to note that Ilohir had some of the same deep blue color on his outfit, as well. "It seems like our ceremony clothes were meant to match."

Ilohir smiled when he noted that their outfits had a matching element, the deep blue. "You think so?" He asked. "We should start getting ready. We spent more time in the library then I thought," The Taiga dragon suggested. He didn't want them to be late.

Madhal shamelessly began to change before Ilohir even finished his sentence. He was vain enough to be proud of his body, so he didn't fear showing it off as he changed. The indigo dragon managed to button up his inner blouse without difficulty, but he only shrugged on the jacket and waited for Ilohir to help him as promised. "Just think of me as an oversized doll and button me up with your tender love."

Ilohir's face turned bright red seeing Madhal starting to undress before quickly turning away and began to change his clothes as well. He managed to get the pants on fine but was having trouble with his inner shirt. He blushed even more at Madhal's over the top statement. "Oh, r-right," He replied with a small laugh, having a far easier time buttoning up Madhal's jacket than his own shirt. "There we go." He finished with an accomplished smile.

Ilohir was quite a sight to behold layers of unbuttoned clothing. As soon as Madhal was free to move, he sat on the edge of the bed and tugged Ilohir to stand between his legs as he helped him with his inner shirt, sleeves, and the blasted jacket. His azure eyes were half-mast in concentration until Ilohir was absolutely perfect. "There. Gorgeous." He stated proudly, standing up and extending his elbow for Ilohir to take.

The blue-haired dragon let out a surprised little noise as Madhal tugged him over. "S-sorry that you're doing all the buttoning for me...these little buttons are a pain for me to get." Though, he liked watching the look on the other dragon's face as it set into such deep concentration. When he was through, he smiled and grabbed his arm as they both walked out.

::::::

Ruthed had dragged Emyve outside for a stroll. They walked around the border, far enough to get some fresh air, but not too far. The burgundy dragon was rather content holding the aquamarine dragon's hand as they walked and took turns carrying his rabbit counterpart. He felt rather honored to have such an adorable creature named after him. Rabbit Emyve flopped on top of his head as they walked. He was a clever rabbit to be able to balance his entire body so well. "The sun is getting ready to set," Emyve told his partner. "We should head back."

Ruthed grumbled as he realized that they had to go back. He was rather enjoying his time alone with Emyve. "I guess you're right. We shouldn't be late for this." But, that didn't mean that they had to stop holding hands, at least. He looked up at Rabbit Emyve, who was making himself comfortable on the red hair. "Heh, he looks pretty cozy up there."

When the two of them reached their room, Emyve carefully lowered the rabbit and placed him in his corresponding bed with a soft pet. "Will you guard our room while we're gone, little one?" He asked him whimsically. With Ruthed and his pet for company, Emyve felt as if he had a small family unit away from his family. "Ruthed," He began as he approached the teal-haired dragon. "Thank you for choosing me."

Ruthed was glad to see that Emyve liked the rabbit, as well as the fact that it was named after him. He was relieved that Emyve didn't find that to be weird. "I bet he won't even let a bug get away with slipping inside here," He declared with a grin, petting the bunny too. He looked over at the redhead upon hearing him say his name, and he blushed at what he had to say. "Is it bad for me to say that I'm glad Sindri didn't choose you?"

"I'm grateful that he didn't choose me, as well," Emyve replied as he reached out a hand to gently lift Ruthed's chin, gazing into the honey-hued eyes. "And I would very much like to kiss you. Will you permit me to?"

Ruthed's cheeks burned an even darker hue, but he managed to summon up a smile for him. He wrapped his arms around Emyve's neck. "Permission granted."

Emyve met Ruthed halfway and pressed a chaste kiss upon the Gallant's lips. With a soft sigh of content, he kissed him again and again. Simple kisses closed mouth kisses. He gave him one last lingering kiss and shifted closer to pull him into a warm embrace. "I would like nothing more than to hold you like this always."

"Well, if that's the case," Ruthed started, reaching up to kiss him once more. "You're stuck with me for good, lifemate." He hugged him again, not wanting to let go just yet, either. He enjoyed just being with him.

After a peaceful moment, Emyve reluctantly pulled away. "Alas, but we must prepare for the ceremony for now. Afterward, I will look forward to us sharing our lives together."

::::::

In the reception hall, the Gallants lined themselves up on either side. Solare Vitara gave special permission for Ansar to be among the Gallants so that it would be an even number. She certainly liked her uniformity. She stood beside the goldsmith, who was a grey female dragon with long pale green hair and eyes of the same hue. In her hands, she held the strands of different metals.

Behind them stood the Sentains, the Sentain of the mountains waiting for Vitara to take over her position so that she could retire. And seated on the sides of the reception hall were musicians of all kinds. They played an intricate song reminiscent of the desert in honor of Sindri's crowning.

As Gonuret walked Sindri towards their fellow Gallant friends, he realized that these were the last few moments that Sindri and himself would be referred to as 'Gallants.' It was a bittersweet feeling.

Sindri took a deep breath before he and Gonuret went into the ceremony room. He had to admit that he loved the music, though it made him miss his home even more. He focused, instead, on the other Gallants and Ansar. It was nice to see their familiar faces for such an event.

The Lunare of the sea, Mavius, pulled up next to Vitara in an electronic wheelchair. He had fallen ill during the week of the Gallant summons and was contagious, so, this was the first time that he would see the new Gallants. His body was still weak and recovering, so Lunare Mavius was forced to remain in the chair until he was stronger. He was a bright blue dragon with lilac hair and brown eyes.

"My right hand has not been able to approach our new Gallants until now, but I will speak for the both of us by stating that this group certainly shows promise." Solare Vitara began. She took off her customized crown and set it onto a velvet pillow that was on a table behind them along with Lunare Mavius's gauntlet. The items would be placed in a museum as relics.

The goldsmith approached Vitara and hooked a pendant around her neck, a symbol of her new status as Sentain.

"Everyone, show your respect to the newly transcended Sentain Vitara," Mavius announced as they all bowed.

Sentain Vitara was all smiles as she took the hands of the former Sentain of the mountains that was to retire. "I free you from your responsibilities as Sentain. Go in peace."

"May you work hard to keep the peace of the people." The old Sentain replied with a smile of her own. The Gallants bowed once again as the old Sentain walked between them and out of the door at a leisurely pace. Sentain Vitara stood amongst the other Sentains as the ceremony continued.

"Come forth, Gallants Sindri and Gonuret," Mavius called.

When the two Gallants were at the forefront, the goldsmith approached Sindri with the different metals. "Choose a metal, whichever one is to your liking." She said.

Sindri nodded serenely as he looked them over. "I think...that I'll choose gold." The color reminded him the most of his home.

The goldsmith took the gold strand into her hands, setting the other metals aside on the table for the moment, and concentrated hard. As she closed her eyes, the strand in her hand began to glow and shift in shape. The gold lengthened and formed itself into an intricate headpiece with dangling red-orange gems. "Close your eyes," She whispered. As she placed the crown onto Sindri's head, the glow seemed to seep through him until his entire body began to glow instead of the crown itself.

Sindri watched in amazement as the gold strand began to glow and form into something else entirely. "That's incredible..." He said quietly, closing his eyes as he was instructed to. He began to feel a warmth taking over his body, starting from his head and spreading down.

Leaving Sindri to his meditation, she showed the remaining metals to Gonuret. "Choose a metal, whichever is to your liking," She stated. When Gonuret chose silver, she once again closed her eyes as she concentrated on forming the glowing metal into an intricate chain cuff that attached from the rings to the wrist with small blue gems. "Close your eyes," She instructed as she slid the gauntlet onto Gonuret's hand.

The moment that Gonuret's eyes closed, he felt a cold sensation seep into his hands through the gauntlet. The cold seemed to spread all over him like an icy wind. When he opened his eyes, the glow seemed to simmer back down.

"Everyone, show your respect to the newly crowned Solare Sindri, and the new right hand, Lunare Gonuret," Mavius announced as they all bowed once more.

Gonuret placed his right hand on Mavius's shoulder, gauntlet and all. "I free you from your responsibilities as Lunare. Go in peace."

"May you work hard to keep the peace of the people," Gallant Mavius replied before driving his chair off the platform.

Sentain Vitara then walked over to reach behind the table, presenting Solare Sindri with his golden staff of the desert. Her pale blue eyes regarded Sindri with warmth as she placed the staff into the desert dragon's hands and closed her own hands around his.

"I free you from your responsibilities as Solare. Go in peace." Sindri stated with a slightly hoarse voice, as it was difficult to speak with a throat that was constricted with emotion. More than ever, he wished his mother would be able to see the ceremony with her own eyes.

"May you work hard to keep the peace of the people," Sentain Vitara replied before taking her place back in line with the Sentains. "Oh, and Solare Sindri?" She called over her shoulder. "Rest well. Tomorrow is the first meeting with the Sentains. In fact," She turned to focus her icy blue gaze on the Gallants. "ALL of you should rest well. You will all be summoned bright and early for the first meeting with the Sentains; all except for Visionary Ansar."

A chorus of "Yes, Sentain Vitara" and "Certainly, Sentain Vitara" followed her statement. Afterward, Gallant Kelius let out a groan of despair while Ansar rubbed his back in, what the hoped, was a soothing manner.

 


	8. Tales of the Evening

 

The Sentains bowed their heads slightly and wished Solare Sindri a good night. The desert dragon was then subjected to hugs, handshakes, well wishes, and a kiss on the cheek from Ansar. The Gallants left in pairs as orderly as they had entered, all except Kelius who mourned the loss of free time. Visionary Ansar couldn't even think about celebrating his free time, as he would have rather spent it by Kelius's side instead of only three rabbits.

As the couples bid each other a good night and disappeared into their rooms, Gallant Kelius suddenly righted himself and ran into his shared room. He came back out with two rabbits in one arm and their stacked beds in the other. "You two! You both  _owe_  me. Tonight, you babysit these two voyeurs!" He pleaded, bordering on desperation.

Sindri nearly jumped when Kelius call them out. He looked towards Gonuret. "I  _do_  owe Ansar. He's been watching my rabbit while I've been out on dates since I wasn't in until later in the evening." He explained.

Gonuret hesitantly took hold of the beds and raised an eyebrow at the rabbits as they were shoved into Sindri's arms. "I suppose we could have them sleep here for one night..."

But, Kelius didn't even stop to hear their response. As soon as the beds and rabbits were out of his hands, he grabbed Ansar's wrist and dashed into their room, slamming and locking the door behind them.

As Gonuret walked into their room behind Sindri, he carefully set the rabbit beds down. "Is it just me, or are those two rabbits supposed to represent people I know?"

When they got into the room, Sindri put the two rabbits on the bed for the time being. He would put them and their beds in the big cage later. "Good eye there. Ruthed and I picked them out on our date. We ended up picking bunny versions of everyone." He began with a smile. "Ruthed's rabbit is an Emyve look-alike, Kit is a Kelius look-alike, and Astral...well, he's yours." He finished with a blush. "To tell you the truth, I was a bit surprised that no one picked up on that when we came back with these guys."

"I do believe that a few pet rabbits weren't at the top of anyone's mind at the time," Gonuret admitted as he began to take off his jacket. "Though, to pick out Astral while on Ruthed's date…does that mean you were thinking of me?"

"Fair enough," Sindri said, petting Astral. He smiled a little as the small blush refused to rub off his face. "I don't think I realized it at the time really but, yeah. Honestly, I think I started to fall for you from the moment we met, but I wanted to make sure I made the right choice since some of the others were probably nervous." He watched as Kinky Kit made its way over towards Gonuret and laughed.

Gonuret shamelessly began to pet Kelius's look-alike. "If only his dragon counterpart was as laid back and friendly," He commented before reaching over to place a kiss on one of Sindri's blushing cheeks. "I started to fall for you from the moment we met, as well. I didn't regret scaling that mountain and nearly risking my life a single time. That first smile you gave me was more than worth it in my eyes."

The apricot dragon smiled as he was kissed and listened to the Lunare's words. The smile then turned a bit devious as he pulled the other down on the bed so they could lay together, making sure that the rabbits were out of the way. Sindri couldn't help but laugh when he saw how confused and flustered Gonuret became. "Sorry, I had to." He said, kissing his nose and lying next to him. He noticed the two rabbits watching him and shook his head. They were watching intently; it was as if they were just waiting for something to happen.

Gonuret's arm gently wrapped around Sindri's shoulders as they aligned themselves comfortably. He, too, noticed the rabbits and a soft sigh fell from his lips. "I see why Gallant Kelius was so adamant to keep them out of their room." He turned slightly to face his lifemate. "But, I don't mind." The Lunare kissed the blonde while his hands began to unbutton the Solare's jacket.

Sindri laughed at the very thought. Perhaps the rabbits needed something to make up for the fact they didn't have Kelius and Ansar to spy on. He kissed Gonuret back as he felt the jacket become loose. "Are we putting on a show, then?"

After he managed to get the jacket off, Gonuret pulled back to get a good look at his beloved. The crowns of the Solares each varied from one another. No two crowns were the same. Sindri's crown truly suited him. He reached out to carefully take it off his head and placed it on their nightstand along with his gauntlet. The sky blue dragon then began to calmly unbutton the blonde's blouse. He sent a sideways glance at the pets. "Sorry, but you will get nothing too naughty from us tonight." He told them. "What sort of Lunare would I be if I didn't make sure that the Solare was fully rested?" After that statement, Kinky Kit turned and hopped once away from them. Astral stayed put.

Sindri laughed, watching as Kinky Kit lost interest, but Astral was still watching them. Silly rabbits. He looked on as the Lunare unbuttoned his shirt before smiling a little, deciding to do the same for him. "Darn, there goes my plans for the night," He joked, as he had already known that they would most likely just be relaxing and enjoying each other's company that night.

"That didn't sound very convincing to me," Gonuret teased. When they were completely bare, he urged Sindri to lay on his stomach and began to massage his back as if he were on a mission.

Sindri chuckled as he gently laid on his stomach. He let out a content sigh as Gonuret started to massage his back. His hands were magic. It felt so good. "You're already spoiling me." He said with a satisfied smile. "I don't think I've ever had a massage until today."

The mountain dragon was content for the time being with simply massaging Sindri intimately. He played close attention to the muscles that were tense and the spots that made the desert dragon melt beneath him. He leaned down to place a kiss on his shoulder. "My people tend to put a lot of strain on their muscles on a regular basis. If we didn't know how to relieve the stress, we'd probably be the grouchiest of all the Astral tribes."

"What do you do that strains your muscles?" Sindri asked, practically melting under the dragon's touch. The sky blue dragon knew what he was doing. He was simply hitting all of the right spots.

"We are hikers and climbers. Sometimes we trade between mountains. To be able to unload such heavy cargo regularly...we simply worked our bodies hard." He chuckled. "And, of course, for fun, we would race each other swimming in the rivers."

Sindri looked absolutely amazed upon hearing that they did such things on a regular basis. An idea came to his mind, and he smiled once more. "In that case…" He began as he sat back up. "Let me massage _you_  now. I might as well start practicing, right?"

Gonuret lifted Sindri's hands to his lips and kissed the knuckles. " _Any_  touch of yours is bound to relax me." He took on Sindri's earlier position. "Simply knead and apply pressure to any tension you feel with your hands."

Sindri blushed. "You truly are the definition of a romantic, in my opinion..." He replied with a small laugh as Gonuret laid down on his stomach. He listened to his instructions and nodded, trying to do just that. Though it wasn't as great of a massage as the Lunare had just given him, he hoped it was decent. "How's that?"

"Mmm. More than good enough, my Solare," Gonuret commented as he reached out to pull the blonde beside him once again. His hand cupped the side of Sindri's face and slid down the side of his neck and arm until their hands touched. He threaded their fingers together as he gazed contently into sunset-hued eyes.

As their fingers laced together, Sindri moved to where he could give the dragon a peck on the lips. They continued gazing into each other's eyes when the apricot dragon smiled. "I definitely made the right choice. I love you, Gonuret."

"Hmm, and we haven't even fully consummated our love yet," Gonuret teased with a smile. He lifted Sindri's hand to his lips as he kissed the palm. His slate grey eyes never left Sindri's.

"I don't think that'll change my mind...much," Sindri teased right back, sticking his tongue out at him.

"Either way, I adore you." A moment later, something red flopped between them, and Kinky Kit looked up at them, seeking attention. "Though, I think it would be safer to get the rabbits to their proper beds before going to sleep..."

The apricot dragon smiled, about to say something when Kinky Kit flopped between them. He looked over and saw that Astral had fallen asleep on them. "Aww, poor Kit." He laughed, reaching a free hand to pet the rabbit. Sindri managed to convince Gonuret to play with the rabbit some more to tire him out before they put them into their beds in the big cage he had gotten Astral. As much as he would have loved to let him roam around his room freely all the time, he knew it was a bad idea at night. "He looks like Kelius, but he acts more like Ansar."

"I kind of prefer that," Gonuret murmured. He pulled back the covers and settled in, motioning for Sindri to join him. Once the blonde laid down beside him, he pulled the covers back over them and pulled him close. He pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "Good night, beloved."

"Agreed. I don't know if Ansar or I could handle two Keliuses," Sindri said with a tired laugh as he crawled back into bed with Gonuret. He nuzzled close to the other as he was pulled close and returned the kiss goodnight. "G'night..." He yawned out, falling asleep minutes later. He was much more tired than he had let on.

:::::::

Madhal and Ilohir had immediately begun stripping each other from their stuffy outfits with too many buttons. The indigo dragon then began to fill the tub of their spa with lukewarm water and began to unbraid his waist length hair. By the time that the last wave was undone, the hair reached down to nearly completely cover his buttocks. "Would you like to have the honor of washing my silky hair?" He suggested to the jade dragon.

Ilohir was thankful to get out of those ceremony clothes. They were so intricate...and frustrating. He looked over and gaped at Madhal's long hair. "It's so wavy now," He mused as he reached out to pet the hair as if in a trance. He blinked, startled when he heard Madhal's suggestion. "Is that alright with you?"

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't want you to," The violet-haired dragon replied. "Come, let us bathe together." He finished as he tugged the jade dragon into the tub with him. He sat Ilohir down on one of the submerged edges of the tub and dunked his head into the water to finish wetting his tresses before kneeling in between his legs.

Ilohir nodded with good nature, getting into the tub with him. He poured some of the shampoo into his hand then lathered it up to wash the violet locks. As soon as he was done shampooing, he conditioned it. He made sure to take his time and was very gentle. "I really like your hair. Though I don't think I could grow mine out so long."

"I rather like your hair short," Madhal replied as his azure eyes peered up at him. "The soft spikes suit you. Now, get in here." He warned as he tugged the jade dragon off the edge and began to wash his blue hair in return. A chuckle slipped from his lips as the bubbles formed an impromptu helm on Ilohir's head. Without even thinking about it, he leaned down to kiss him and pulled back before the suds fell on him, too. "Time to rinse." He warned as he scooped water into a bowl and rinsed out Ilohir's hair.

Before Ilohir could say any more, Madhal had pulled him down from the edge. "What's so funny?" He asked, being answered with a kiss, which made his cheeks turn red with a blush. He closed his eyes after Madhal warned him, feeling his hair being rinsed out. "Madhal?" He asked, looking up at the other "I-I'm a bit curious as to why you picked me…I mean, it's not that I question it, I'm just curious!" He added quickly, making sure to clarify things. Or rather, hoping he clarified.

Madhal thought back when Ilohir first sat beside him and bombarded him with questions shortly after his date with Sindri. When the subject of their home biomes and the weather changes came up, Emyve joined in their conversation. Once the three of them vowed to do something about it, the jade dragon finally relaxed a bit, and Madhal was able to enjoy his companionship from then on. "You wouldn't be yourself if you didn't ask questions, Ilohir," He replied, amused. "Your compassion towards your home biome truly moved me. You couldn't even concentrate on courting the new Solare due to your worries. I thought, here's a dragon that has his priorities straight. And, I found myself simply wanting to be one of  _your_ priorities, as well. I wanted to be the center of your attention always."

Ilohir remembered when they first really talked. He smiled at Madhal's answer. "You know... that time you told me that you only saw Sindri as a brother, I was actually rather happy. I mean, he would have been lucky to have you by his side b-but…I…I think you get what I mean." He mentally cursed, knowing he wasn't the best with words. He looked up at him and kissed his cheek.

"Why I do believe that I do," Madhal replied with a chuckle. He reached down to gently pinch one of Ilohir's butt cheeks before stepping out of the tub. "Let's get dried and to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day."

Ilohir jumped, letting out a squeak as his face went red and he started stammering. He managed to nod and got out of the tub, taking a towel and drying himself off. "Y-yeah, we better get all the rest we can."

::::::

Upon arriving at their room, Emyve carefully set their clothes, folded, on the chair near the door for the maids to pick them up later. He was in the process of unbraiding and brushing his long hair for the night while Ruthed fed their little friend one last time. "Did you ever see Sindri so happy before the ceremony? The Lunare has done wonders for him."

After feeding their rabbit, Ruthed put him in his cage. "Ansar told me before my date that he could be a bit on the quiet and shy side, but that he'd open up after a while." He went over to Emyve and took the brush from him to help brush his hair. "He was all smiles today," He laughed as he brushed his lifemate's long hair carefully.

"I want to always see you just as happy," Emyve replied as he held out sections of the hair for Ruthed to brush. "Thank you for the help."

"If I'm with you, that shouldn't be a problem at all," Ruthed said with a grin, kissing Emyve's cheek before taking another section of hair. "Don't mention it." Once he was done, he wrapped his arms around the burgundy dragon.

Emyve didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around Ruthed's waist until no space rested between them. He nuzzled the crook of the aquamarine dragon's neck and breathed in his scent. "When things start to settle down, I want to introduce you to my family."

Ruthed pet the other dragon's head as he wrapped his arms around him. He was definitely going to take advantage of the redhead having such long hair by playing with it and petting it as much as he wanted. "Seriously?" He asked, eyes a bit wide before he nodded. "I'd like that…but, only if you let me do the same thing. Deal?"

"Certainly," He replied. "Why don't we seal it with a kiss?" Emyve's head was already slightly tilted as he pressed his lips against Ruthed's. His tongue traced his bottom lip, silently seeking entrance.

"I'm game," Ruthed replied in a whisper before he was kissed. He easily allowed the dragon access, his tongue sliding against Emyve's.

Emyve was thrilled with the teal-haired dragon's response. He trod carefully with the enthusiastic rainforest dragon, as he didn't want to move too fast too soon. But, his lifemate's reactions were breaking down his resolve. When he felt Ruthed's hardening arousal against his stomach, the red head pulled away. "Ruthed," He whispered in a husky voice. His large hand reached down to warmly press against the flesh between the aquamarine dragon's legs. "Would you like some help with this?"

The teal-haired dragon didn't even have to ask as to why the redheaded dragon had broken the kiss. His face turned bright red, knowing just what the problem was. Ruthed's breath hitched when Emyve's hand pressed against his hardening erection. "...M-maybe?"

Hyacinth purple eyes darkened as Ruthed's breathless voice bounced around his mind and senses. "I don't want to do anything unless you're ready," He began as his hand slowly curled around the sac and stroked its way up, swiveling over the head and sliding back down again to the base. "But, oh, what I wouldn't give for a taste…"

Ruthed gasped, feeling so many different sensations from what the burgundy dragon did to him...and it only seemed to make the problem worse. But, it felt oh so good. His face turned red upon hearing Emyve's words. "I-I…wouldn't mind if you did that." He replied through small pants of breath.

"Mmm," Emyve hummed deeply as he flipped around their positions, pinning the aquamarine dragon beneath him on the bed. "I thank you in advance for this." He kissed his mouth softly and trailed kisses down Ruthed's chest as his lips became more daring in their endeavors.

Ruthed blinked as the positions were switched and he was soon pinned down on the bed. "Is there anything you  _don't_ know?" He asked as Emyve seemed to know exactly what to do. "Just what kind of books have you been reading?" He teased with a snicker.

The redhead placed a kiss on the very tip of the dragon's shaft as his hands worked at the rest of the flesh. One hand gently rolled and squeezed at the testicles while the other stroked from base to tip. Hyacinth purple eyes peered into honey-hued ones in a heated manner before Emyve took the flesh into his mouth and began to suck on it diligently.

Ruthed's nervous laughter died in his throat the moment that Emyve began to work him. His back began to arch as he moaned in pleasure as if all he could feel at the moment was that warmth around his member. "Wow…" He gasped.

Emyve was most pleased with Ruthed's reactions. He swallowed him down to the hilt and continued to the hilt and continued to work his shaft only with the intent of drawing forth Ruthed's release. He refused to tease the teal-haired dragon any longer. One of his hands continued to knead at the sac while the other caressed the inner thighs and stomach. He hummed deeply when he felt fingers digging into his hair, and he wasn't surprised when the aquamarine dragon spilled himself shortly after. The redhead swallowed what he could and placed a kiss on Ruthed's stomach. "Wait right here," He instructed softly as he retrieved a warm, wet cloth from the spa and gently wiped him clean. The redhead was almost as satisfied as the utterly relaxed and quiet Ruthed, who seemed to be still recovering from the ordeal. "Thank you for this." It meant a lot for the burgundy dragon that his lifemate trusted him that much.

Ruthed panted heavily after his release, his face turning red as he saw his lifemate swallow a good bit of it all. He nodded upon hearing the burgundy dragon's order. He smiled and laughed when Emyve returned to cleaned him up. When he was cleaned off, he hugged the redhead. "I love you, Emyve. Trusting you is one way to show it, right?" He said with a smile.

Emyve held the aquamarine dragon close. "Yes, it is an excellent way to show it." He replied as he leaned down to kiss him on the lips. "I, too, trust and love you, my mischief."

::::::

Ansar couldn't help but gulp in anticipation when he heard the sound of the lock of their door clicking closed. He had a feeling that the auburn-haired dragon didn't care in the slightest that he had a meeting with the Sentains in the early hours of the morning. The look in those darkened red eyes spoke of all sorts of trouble for the short beige dragon. "You've waited all your life for a lifemate...what's another day?" He began in a squeak.

Kelius was already stripping off his clothes. With each article of clothing that he tossed on the floor, he took another step towards the brunette. His tail swayed from side to side slowly...inspiring as much wariness as the sight of a shark fin cutting through the water.

When the copper dragon stood naked before him, Ansar felt as if his breath had simply been taken away. His yellow eyes had briefly seen flashes of Kelius's body before, but none of them compared to the real deal. His back straightened and he took a step back as he felt a deep arousal shooting through his entire body. Ansar had never wanted anything, let alone anyone, so badly before. He wanted to consume and be consumed by him. "Kelius..." He whispered headily.

The copper dragon's hand trailed an inch away from Ansar's skin. He couldn't touch him. Just one touch was all it was going to take for Kelius to completely lose control. No. Ansar still had his ceremony clothes on. They were in the way. He quickly unbuttoned and forcefully tugged away the obstacles, nearly tripping Ansar in the hasty process. There...much better. Kelius had already had the beige dragon's backside burned into his memory, but this was the first time he was able to drink in the sight of his full frontal. He let out a low growl of warning when Ansar covered his privates with his hands.

"W-well, it's embarrassing if you just stand there and stare," Ansar hissed, a blush streaking across his cheeks and nose.

Kelius closed the distance between them until there were a mere two inches away. His hands reached up to the sides of Ansar's face, still not quite touching. They ghosted down the sides of his neck and over his shoulders. "Ansar," He breathed.

Ansar broke first. He rose onto his toes, tilted his head, and sealed their mouths together. His arms wrapped around Kelius's shoulders so that his fingers could thread into auburn locks. A moment later, Kelius's strong arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him flush against the copper dragon. His moan was lost in their ravenous kiss.

The red-eyed dragon couldn't get enough of skin to skin contact. His hands roamed over Ansar's back and squeezed at the lovely little globes of flesh that snuck their way into his racy dreams from the moment he caught sight of them. The truth was that he did like Sindri at first. The blonde's personality was rather attractive to him. But, Ansar? The punk had absolutely stolen his heart. When was it that his mind stopped recalling images of Sindri and became a diehard Ansar fan? When exactly did worrying over the beige dragon begin to occupy most of his thoughts? He didn't know. He damn well didn't care. Ansar was willingly in his arms. His tongue was all but eating at his mouth, and he was grinding against him so slowly that it was driving him absolutely insane. "I swear I'm going to creme right here right now...no. We're fixing this," He grumbled as he tugged Ansar towards the bed. He settled Ansar on top of him upside down and took the dangling flesh above his face into his mouth.

Ansar was in a daze when Kelius arranged them on top of the bed. He was confused as to why they weren't facing one another. But, then he felt his shaft engulfed in heat. "K-Kelius!" He gasped. With a frown, he lowered himself onto his elbows and worked Kelius's shaft until caught a trail of pre-cum with his tongue, tasting his essence. "No," The Ansar purred as he pulled back, his hands continuing his mouth's work. "I don't think I can get used to your taste." He teased as he gave a light bite to Kelius's inner thigh. "I'm going to have to keep doing this until I do." That being said, he deep-throated him and swallowed around the flesh.

"Ansar!" Kelius hissed, effectively releasing the beige dragon's member and bucking once into the brunette's mouth. "Fuck, that's amazing." He redoubled his efforts to reciprocate on Ansar's own shaft. He sucked hard at the head and rolled the sac with his hand, giving one of the butt cheeks a slap with his other hand. Before he peaked into the beige's mouth, he reached over to the night stand and coated his fingers with oil. He focused both of his hands on the task of penetrating and stretching Ansar's inner walls. Somewhere in the midst of the fingering, Kelius groaned when he felt Ansar moan around his manhood. Yes, it was definitely time to move on. "Come on," He ordered as he slapped the other butt cheek. "Move back for a second." While Ansar turned around and to the side, Kelius quickly coated his owns shaft with the oil.

When prompted, Ansar straddled Kelius and leaned down to give him a heated kiss. "You want me in control this first time?" He asked, his voice laced with lust. "I'll try to go easy on you." That being said, they worked at getting Kelius's shaft to breach through the ring of Ansar's entrance. "A-Ah!" He gasped when the head finally slid on through, the rest of the shaft following easily. "Oh..." Ansar lifted himself and dropped back down experimentally. "Mmm, that's not too bad."

Kelius couldn't help but snort. "Glad you're enjoying yourself there." He drawled sarcastically. He held onto the beige dragon's hips and carefully thrust up into the dragon. "So hot and tight..." He moaned as he began a gentle rhythm that quickly escalated into a frenzy of movement.

Ansar began to lean back as he tried to match Kelius's pace. "Ahn!" He cried as Kelius continued to stimulate something deep inside him. "Don't stop!" Their tails began to twine together and stroke one another. The dual sensation was driving him absolutely crazy. "K-Kelius..."

The copper dragon shifted them until they were in a sitting position. His hips pistoned sharply into Ansar's heat. His hand took hold of the hard, bouncing flesh between them and began to stroke it mercilessly. "That's right," He growled. "Lose yourself. Lose yourself for me, Ansar."

"Hah!" Ansar whimpered. But, as it stood, he couldn't hang on any longer. "Kelius!" He trilled as he tossed his head back, his release bursting through his member violently. He vaguely registered the warmth of Kelius's seed as it shot deep inside him, but the knowledge that Kelius lost himself too warmed him to the core. His wings flapped wildly to keep him balanced as he collapsed limply onto his lifemate.

"I apologize," Kelius purred into Ansar's webbed ear as he caught his breath. "We're going to have to do that again...at least five more times."

A peaceful chuckle was his answer.


	9. The Crater

 

_Darifer was hanging from the ceiling again. The collar around his neck had three chains that led to piercings on his chest and a particular ring that his master had fastened to the base of his second head. Each of his wings had two sets of piercings running down their length, with black ribbons running down through the loops in an intricate manner._

_A clawed hand scratched the underside of the lavender astral dragon's tail and trailed along the soft scales with the sole purpose of stimulating arousal. A set of teeth bit down on Darifer's shoulders possessively as the clawed hand slid around to pump the hardened length. One of the blue fingers slid up to press the pad into the dragon's slit, drawing forth a whimper from Darifer. "_ **_Astral filth_ ** _," were the words hissed into webbed ears._

::::::

The council room was large and round. The middle of the wall was embedded with windows that ran around the entire circumference. The room was in one of the taller towers of the fortress. The only way to enter and leave it was through a long, spiral staircase. From there, the Sentains could see all of the different segments of their homelands. Sindri, Gonuret, and the Gallants followed the Sentains into the room. But, it was difficult for the younger dragons to keep from gaping at the different angles of the view.

The Sentains sat down in an orderly manner from youngest to oldest, leaving Sindri to sit beside Vitara. Gonuret sat beside him, and the others filled up the remaining chairs. Madhal sat to Gonuret's right followed by Ilohir, Kelius, Emyve, and finally Ruthed. The conference table was large and heptagonal in shape. Two dragons sat in each of its sides. Sentain Vitara stood up to be seen from everyone's point of view. "Let me introduce to you each of the council members. To my left is Sentain Dranel, from the sea. To his left is Sentain Liana from the rainforest. Followed by Sentain Riah from the taiga, Sentain Arasie from the grassland, Sentain Lyre from the Volcanic Isles, and the grand Sentain Yuneza of the desert."

"They say 'grand' as if it's supposed to be some sort of reverent title," Sentain Yuneza scoffed to Ruthed. "We both know that it merely means 'grand of age.' Ninety years old is only a decade away from one-hundred, after all." She jested with a snicker that made her appear at least three decades younger than her actual age.

"We are here to discuss the repercussions that the shifting of the tectonic plates has caused on the planet," Sentain Dranel began.

"You mean, we're here to bash our heads over this table as to why the world seems to be peeling itself off like a banana," Sentain Yuneza suggested.

"Y-yes, in plainer terms," Sentain Dranel added with a slight blush forming on his face.

Sindri choked on a small laugh as Sentain Dranel, and Sentain Yuneza went back and forth. Well, the meeting was certainly more entertaining than he thought it would be.

"If we're going to do something about it, we can't sit around using fancy words all day," Yuneza pointed out. "Let's hack it all out and be done with it."

Ruthed was trying hard to not laugh out loud with Sentain Yuneza's lively wit. He eventually had to cover his mouth to hide his growing grin. He wanted to try and be somewhat professional here! Especially with Emyve sitting right next to him. When he settled down a bit, he finally trusted himself to speak clearly. "I agree. We need to take action, not sit around and talk all day."

"Sentain Yuneza is right," Sentain Lyre agreed. "We need to form a team that is willing to personally investigate what is truly happening on the other side of the planet."

"But we need to go in prepared." Sindri reminded them both.

Ilohir nodded. With a slight frown, he noticed that Kelius had barely said a word. Normally, the copper dragon called for action! He reached out and gently shook his shoulder. "Kelius? Are you alright?" He asked, and then, he heard the sound of snoring. "H-he's sleeping..."

Ruthed snickered, having a pretty good idea as to  _why_  Kelius was so tired. "Guess he had a little too much fun with his new  _roommate_." He whispered in Ilohir's direction.

"I volunteer to investigate that area with the Gallants," Gonuret suggested. The Sentains looked at one another, but it was Sentain Yuneza who spoke.

"Guess it's time to dust out one of those small aerial ships that our Sentain ancestors were so fond of before they realized that they used them to travel for so long that they had forgotten how to fly."

"…is that why we can only glide now?" Ilohir asked, his curiosity spiked.

"Oh, I'm sure of it," Sentain Yuneza agreed with a snort. "But, in this particular case, it will make the journey to the other side a lot faster." She stood up. "I'll need the Solare, the Lunare, and Gallants to follow me. The rest of you should take the time to go to your home biomes to brace the tribes for any worsening conditions."

Sindri felt a pang in his heart when he thought about his home biome. But, he had a feeling that all of them were feeling the same kind of pain in their hearts. If the entire planet were suffering, their home biomes would cease to exist.

"Sentain Yuneza, what about the desert biome?" Sentain Liana asked in a concerned tone of voice.

Yuneza sent her a wry smile. "Gallant Mavius is more than capable of taking care of the desert in my stead."

"He will be most pleased to be of use once again," Sentain Vitara responded.

"Take heed, young Solare, and Lunare," Sentain Yuneza said as her gaze fell on the two. "Your positions will change in ten years, but your tasks in protecting your fellow dragons will never be finished." He informed them as they stood up to follow her. "Someone wake that grassland Gallant up and we'll be ready to go."

Ruthed, eager to please his now favorite Sentain, quickly rushed over to pinch Kelius awake. "Come on, when's the last time you've ever seen an actual spaceship with your own eyes!"

"Owww, what the fuck?" Kelius groaned as he sat up and blinked, slowly looking from side to side at all the empty chairs. "Is the meeting over already?"

Emyve chuckled and replied. "Yes. Come, grace us with your presence. I'll fill you in on our mission along the way."

Sentain Yuneza led them back down the spiral staircase and into a separate hallway that had yet another spiral staircase that led somewhere beneath the fortress. "So many blasted stairs…this is one of the very things I look forward to  _not_  doing anymore once I turn one-hundred." She grumbled on her way down.

Sindri tried to not laugh upon hearing her complaints. "There are quite a lot of stairs. At least it's good exercise?"

Beneath the fortress was, what appeared to be, a hangar. In the distance, a runway could be seen that opened up to the forest beyond. Everyone looked on in awe. How could something so extensive exist beneath an entire fortress?

"This place is amazing! I would never have thought that something like this was under the fortress." Ilohir stated, Sindri nodding in agreement.

Emyve had studied the blueprints of the fortress about a day or two ago. He was the only one that was not surprised. "During the construction of the solar powered bullet trains, our ancestors used these ships to ferry the workers back and forth without their becoming too exhausted to fly themselves home."

"I didn't even know this was here. I could have sworn Ansar, and I looked all around the fortress," Ruthed added.

Madhal, who was keeping an eye on Kelius to make sure he didn't fall asleep and tumble down the entire flight of stairs, was pleased to note that the copper dragon was now fully awake and gaping at their surroundings. "So, we are to use one of these ships to travel to the opposite side of the planet?" He asked.

Sentain Yuneza nodded gruffly. "The simulation room holds only two dragons at a time, but I want all of you to learn how to fly them before you take off as a group. The program lasts for two hours, so you will have to take turns." She glanced at each of them in turn. "Be prudent and attentive, for you will serve as our eyes." That being said, she left them to their tasks and walked up to Sindri. "Bid farewell to your life mate and come with me, young Solare."

Kelius glanced at Sentain Yuneza upon hearing that, realizing that he wasn't going to be able to give his own life mate a proper goodbye. "Sindri, tell Ansar for me, will ya? I wouldn't do things this way if I had a choice, you know?"

"Well, operating this thing can't be that hard if the simulation is only two hours long, right?" Ruthed asked.

"The lessons are far more condensed than you think. Though you are only inside for two hours, it will feel more like two months." Emyve explained.

Sindri frowned when he realized that he wouldn't be allowed to go with the others. It was probably for the best, but it did nothing to ease his concerns... "Yes ma'am," He said before hugging Gonuret. His grip hinted to the other dragon how he wished he didn't have to let go.

Gonuret squeezed his beloved tightly as well, waiting for him to pull back enough to lean down for a soft, tender kiss. His hands reached up to thread through the Solare's hair as he pressed their foreheads together. "I'll do my best to return as soon as possible."

"You  _better_ come back as soon as you can," Sindri said quietly. He nodded towards Kelius in acknowledgment, smiling a little. "I'll be sure to do that. Though, who knows when I'll get to do so if he's as tired as you are!" He added, sticking his tongue out to mess with him.

Ruthed couldn't help but snicker. Apparently, Sindri had an idea as to why Kelius was napping earlier, too.

The Solare looked to the others after he let go of Gonuret. "Everyone, stay safe, okay?"

Ilohir nodded, taking Madhal's hand. "We will."

Yuneza waited until Sindri was finished with his goodbyes and well-wishing before walking with him back up the spiral stair cases. "I know how you feel. When I was Solare, I always wanted to be in the forefront and wanted to do all the leg work myself. But, you have to realize that you are now the representative for all tribes now. You have to be at the center, the core. You must gather the information and re-distribute it as necessary."

Sindri nodded, slightly frowning. "I know. I just feel a bit useless staying here while they're out there." He sighed. "But, my place is here, unless otherwise needed." Though, the real fun part was having to tell _Ansar_ the news.

When they finally reached the top of the tower, where it connected to the rest of the fortress, Sentain Yuneza stopped and gazed up at Sindri. "I'm sure you can find your way back from here. You will soon be of much more use than you can possibly imagine. Conserve your energy for now."

The new Solare looked a bit confused at what Sentain Yuneza was suggesting. Did she know of what he could end up doing? He simply nodded in response and headed towards Ansar and Kelius's room. "Ansar?" He called as he knocked on the door.

When the desert dragon didn't answer, he opened the door and noticed that the covers were drawn and the room was cast in shadow. He saw the lump under the covers and walked towards the mess of curly hair that poked out from beneath the sheets. "You're still sleeping?" Sindri asked as he reached out and gently shook his friend's shoulder. "Ansar, wake up."

A small frown formed on Ansar's face as he whined. "Again? Darn it, Kel, I'm dead tired..." He yawned softly and rubbed at his eyes. "You still have that meeting, remem-" His voice cut off when his yellow eyes caught sight of, not Kelius, but his best friend. "Sindri!" He squeaked, lifting the sheet up to his chin subconsciously.

Sindri laughed when he heard the squeak. "Calm down; I didn't see anything." He assured him before smiling a bit deviously. "You two certainly didn't waste any time. And here, I haven't even gotten any yet!" He reached over to ruffle his friend's curls. "The meeting's over, and it's been decided that a team is going to personally investigate what's happening on the other side of the planet. So, the new Lunare and the Gallants won't be around for a while. Kelius told me to tell you that he wouldn't do it this way if he had a choice." Sindri explained as simply as he could since it was a lot of information to take in and Ansar had just woken up.

Ansar's face was a bright pink shade all over when Sindri poked fun at him. But, the expression on his face became more and more serious as he heard the Solare out. "That's so far away..." He pondered out loud. "I hope they get back soon...and safe."

::::::

The Lunare and Kelius had taken the first turn in the simulation and were already inside the ship, preparing it for take-off. "The technology that our ancestors had at their disposal was amazing," Gonuret mused.

"I'm surprised any of this is still operational," Kelius commented, knocking on the wall made of some strange, iridescent material.

"Much like the craft of blacksmithing, it seems as if certain dragons were tasked to perform regular maintenance."

Kelius sighed as he sat down on the co-pilot seat. "I just wish we had more of a warning. It just went from a meeting to 'time to send all of you Gallants off to investigate.' I would have liked to spend a little more time with my Ansar."

Gonuret shook his head slightly. "At least you had some private time with Ansar, to begin with..."

A devious grin formed on Kelius's face. "So, the rabbits  _did_  keep you up all night? That's a shame. I would have thought you could have handled the rabbits and Sindri all on your own." When Gonuret remained silent, Kelius gaped. "Wait, you mean the two of you didn't even get down last night? Are you kidding me! We practically handed Sindri to you on a silver platter, and you couldn't even give him the night of his life?"

"Now is just not the time," Gonuret replied stiffly as he ran some tests on a panel. "The safety of the tribes comes first." Before Kelius could reply to that, Ilohir and Ruthed joined them on the ship.

"I see you two have already started to get things going here," Ruthed said as he got to work on another panel of the ship. "This is so exciting! This could be our only chance to run one of these ancient ships! We should take turns flying...can we?" He turned to ask the Lunare.

"Should something happen, we should all have at least some physical experience with flying the ship, so yes," Gonuret replied.

"Sweet!" Ruthed cooed while Emyve looked down at him with a wistful expression on his face.

"Hey, Emyve..." Kelius drawled as his eyes fell to half-mast. " _You_  took advantage of last night with Ruthed, didn't you? I mean  _surely_  you didn't let the opportunity pass to consummate your love with your lifemate, right?"

The redhead carefully studied the expression on Kelius's face along with the fact that Gonuret refused to meet anyone's eyes. "Not quite to the point of consummation, no..."

Gonuret crossed his arms and sent Kelius a triumphant look of 'see, we're not all horn dogs here.'

Ruthed merely raised an eyebrow. "Hey now, that doesn't mean that we didn't do a little SOMETHING or other...little Em got quite a little show from his bed."

A blush came across Emyve's cheeks and nose as he feigned interest in the panel that Ruthed had already prepared while Gonuret groaned in disappointment.

" _See_?" Kelius practically purred. "Shame on  _you_ , Lunare. Shame on you."

A few moments later, Madhal and Ilohir entered the ship. "Is everything ready?" Madhal asked.

"We should get going," Ilohir added.

"Yeah, let's see what this baby can do," Ruthed said from his seat, his tail swishing in anticipation behind him. He had been surprised to see just how their ancestors customized Astral technology to fit their needs. Even the back of the chairs softly molded to comfortably cushion their wings.

The Gallants and Lunare took off towards the other side of the planet. They took turns flying and co-piloting, and when it was once again Gonuret and Kelius's turn to fly, they finally caught sight of their destination. Even if they didn't have the coordinates programmed into the ship, the opposite of their planet was rather hard to miss. What appeared to be a giant funnel made out of all kinds of earth and metals jutted high over the water looking like an inverted cliff. As they looked on at the mass, Gallant Kelius was the first to voice his opinions on what they were seeing.

"What the fuck?" Kelius hissed as he looked on. "It looks like the world had a terrible case of indigestion and its ass exploded!" Gonuret sighed beside him. "What? It seriously does!"

Ruthed snickered hearing Kelius's…description of what they were seeing. "It really does look like that," he said as he looked on.

"It appears to be a massive crater," Emyve concluded.

"There doesn't seem to be a platform wide enough to land on..." Gonuret pointed out as they flew overhead. "The inside looks dark and deep, but the scanners seem to have found many plateaus that we could land on. Should we go down?"

"E-ew..." Ilohir muttered, trying to erase the mental image he was just given from his mind. "Well, we're not gonna find out anything more just sitting here looking at it. I say we go down." As he looked around the others seemed to agree.

"Yeah! I wanna explore it!" Ruthed added.

"Then, prepare for landing, everyone," Gonuret warned as they carefully descended into darkness. For a long while, the atmosphere outside of the ship was pitch black, but as they got closer to one of the platforms, strange lights could be seen, though none of them could quite pinpoint the source of them.

"Ok, what now? We can't just all hop out of the ship, I mean what if there's more air pressure down th-birthedfromapuredragon'sass!" Kelius ended in a yowl as something rather large landed in front of the ship. "I damn near pissed myself. Are all of you seeing what  _I'm_  seeing?"

"I don't believe you're wrong on any account," Gonuret replied dryly as he kept a wary gaze upon the creature before them. " _That_  is a pure dragon. The problem is that they were supposed to have been extinct." After a thick moment of tension, he looked behind him to see that the other Gallants all had a mixture of shocked and pensive expressions on their faces. "As Lunare, I'm going to try to communicate with it. The rest of you stay here."

"You are out of your mind if you think that I'll let you go out there by yourself. Sindri would kill me and bury me if anything happened to you, and then Ansar would bring me back to life only to kill and bury me again because his best friend lost the love of his life before he was properly fucked. Just…no. I'm coming with you," Kelius retorted.

"…Fine." Gonuret said. "But, until we know that it's safe, the rest of you stay here." He concluded.

The two of them were rather quiet and anxious as they climbed the hatch of the ship and opened it on the side to come out. The pure dragon was immense. Its form took up most of the platform, which was the size of at least three compartments of their bullet trains. Its wingspan was four times as wide. The creature was blue, the purest blue that they've ever seen. The underside of its wings was a concentrated yellow, as its eyes. Gonuret was about to introduce himself when Kelius spoke.

"My name's Kelius, I'm the second head representative of our kind, the Lunare! And this is my assistant, Gonuret! We come from the surface!" Kelius yelled.

Gonuret held back the urge to gape incredulously at Kelius. If he tried to correct him now, he didn't know how the pure dragon would react. They needed to know what was going on with the planet first, so he kept quiet. The blue dragon let out what appeared to be a snort and shook its head.

'I can hear you just fine without your having to yell, young astral dragon.' He responded. The voice was male, and it echoed in their minds telepathically.

Gonuret and Kelius looked at one another to confirm that they had both, in fact, heard him.

'Have you come alone?' The pure dragon asked.

"No..." Kelius replied reluctantly. "We have others waiting for us in the ship. Gonuret, why don't you go and tell them to come out."

'I see...' The blue dragon sighed, sounding a bit disappointed.

Gonuret took the cue to rush back into the ship. "It  _is_  a pure dragon," He whispered to the others. "He responds telepathically, but doesn't seem to be able to read our thoughts, or he would have realized that Kelius lied about being the Lunare."

"Wait, what!?" Ruthed questioned.

"Shh, for whatever reason, Kelius is posing as Lunare for now. The important thing is that we try to get the dragon to tell us what it knows about the planet." He looked at the four of them and took a deep breath. "He doesn't seem to know how many of us there are, so I want two of you to stay here guarding the ship, the other two will come with us. Choose among yourselves."

"I wanna come see this!" Ruthed retorted, hopping up from his seat before looking at Emyve. "Wanna come with?"

"Madhal and I could stay here," Ilohir suggested, honestly feeling a bit nervous as it was. He wasn't sure that his heart could take this right now. He needed to let the situation sink in. And he would definitely prefer that Madhal were with him as he worked through the anxiety.

Sensing that Ilohir was a bit stressed, Madhal wrapped an arm around his shoulder and tucked the jade dragon close to him. "Yes, we will stay. All of you better stay on alert out there."

Ruthed nodded before heading out of the ship with Emyve, his mouth gaping open upon seeing the big blue dragon.

'I am Duke Borev.' The pure dragon finally introduced himself as he lowered his head. 'Climb onto my neck, and I will take you to see the royal family. If you fall or slide off, I will not be returning for you.'

Ruthed nearly jumped in excitement at the chance to ride a pure dragon. That was until he heard the part about falling off. As soon as they climbed on, Emyve made sure he had a good grip around him, so Ruthed felt a lot safer. He kissed the redhead's cheek before they took off.

When the pure dragon dived off the platform, the majority of them assumed that they would keep going directly down, but the dragon began to fly parallel to the ground. Glowing stones of all kinds lit up the path all around them and, a few minutes later, they found themselves gaping at an underground palace. An immense rock formation settled above the highest peak of the palace that glowed so brightly that it resembled an artificial star...one that remarkably emulated sunlight.

"If only Ansar could see this..." Kelius whispered the same thought that ran through Gonuret's mind about Sindri.

Emyve had a theory that the shifting could have involved the pure dragons in the  _past,_  but he would have never imagined that the pure dragons still  _existed._ As he gazed upon the immense palace, his mind rapidly began to guesstimate the amount of pure dragons that lived there, and his conclusion tossed his original theory right out of the water.

As Duke Borev landed, the armored guards simply bowed their heads and let him through. A smaller, jittery-looking, yellow dragon immediately approached him. 'W-welcome back, my duke...'

'Fringe. Gather the royal family into the throne room.  _Urgently._ ' The Duke ordered.

'R-Right away, my duke.' Fringe replied before skittering off on the ground faster than any of the astral dragons could keep up with.

By the time Duke Borev entered the throne room, the royal family was already there. The smaller dragon that seemed to be cowering behind the larger dragon was the same blue hue as Duke Borev. The larger dragon was a pure red. Emyve noted that, much like their own throne room that had been converted into a reception hall, the pure dragon throne room was barely more than a hall with a dais.

'Brother. Brother's wife. I bring you proof that astral dragons are still alive.' Duke Borev stated as he lowered his neck back down for the four of them to slide off.

'Amazing!' Two smaller purple dragons exclaimed nearly at the same time as they ran out from behind the cowering blue dragon and approached the group. They were the size of large horses.

'These two rascals are my niece and nephew, the royal twins.' Duke Borev explained without any shred of enthusiasm.

'Where did you find them?'

'Are there more?'

The twin dragons looked at one another before giving a definite nod. 'We're off to explore!' They declared as they scampered away.

'Cero! Cera!' The queen called a little too late. 'Honestly, dear!' She chided her cowering husband. 'You need to be more firm with them.' To the astral dragons she simply gave, what they could only assume was, a smile. 'Hello, fledglings. Welcome to the palace. I am Queen Caldrea, and this is my husband, King Bale.' She stated as she stepped aside a bit so they could more clearly see his hulking form. The king was seated on top of his tail, and his head was covered beneath his paws. His wings were a telltale sign that he was trembling.

"I'm Lunare Kelius, and these are Gallants Gonuret, Emyve, and Ruthed." Kelius introduced hesitantly.

"I am certain that the existence of both our kinds is quite a shock to all of us, but we are here because the surface of the planet has been shifting violently..." Emyve spoke up. "If I am not mistaken, the same could be happening here."

'You are right in suspecting such a thing.' Queen Caldrea sighed. 'Our palace has existed long before our world began to shift. When the Astral Princess arrived, half of our kind chose to welcome her and all of her strange...technology. But, the other half hid underground in fear. Our ancestors simply assumed that the Astral Princess and her mixed dragons all died off long ago.' Her green eyes peered back down that the group. 'Both our kind seemed to have left the other for dead.'

'The tremors began long after our people settled here.' Duke Borev added. 'We've lived with them for the last century or more. If it is starting to affect the surface as well, then I fear that we are all doomed.'

Their theory was rather sobering to everyone. None of them wanted those fears to come to fruition.

"There has to be something we can do..." Gonuret replied. "Our shared ancestors would not see this planet destroyed just like that!"

"Yeah! We can't just throw in the towel and accept that" Ruthed added to the real Lunare's statement.

The Gallants and Lunare quickly huddled together to discuss a course of action, but it was Kelius that voiced it out loud for the queen. "Since the tremors are far stronger here, we suggest that you evacuate your kingdom so that everyone may take refuge on the surface. With everyone in a bit more safety, we could then work together to figure out what to do from there."

The queen gazed down at Kelius's sincere red eyes. 'Yes, I think that's the best course of action for now. We will begin with the lowest ranks of our people. The royal family will be the last to evacuate.'

Kelius gave a nod. "Allow us to tell our Solare of this so we can begin to accommodate all of you."

'Borev, take them back to where you found them.' Queen Caldrea ordered.

Ruthed let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He was relieved that they would soon be on their way back to keep Sindri and Ansar informed.

'As you wish, your majesty,' Duke Borev conceded.

::::::

Madhal and Ilohir were dutifully guarding the ship and playing cards to pass the time when they heard a strange knock on the side of the ship. When Madhal looked through the front window, he caught sight of a young pure purple dragon. "Should we go out and investigate?" He asked Ilohir.

Ilohir jumped as soon as they heard the strange knock, having been on edge the entire time they were on guard duty. He blinked in surprise at the sight that greeted them. The bluenette nodded hesitantly. "We better go ahead and investigate."

As the two astral dragons cautiously opened the hatch, they were greeted by two excited purple dragons that, though far smaller than the last pure dragon they saw, were quite sizeable themselves.

'Two more astral dragons!' The one that sounded like a girl squealed in their minds.

'Are you friends with the other astral dragons?'

'Where did you come from?'

'Did you come here in that strange, stiff -dragon- shell machine?'

'How come you're not big like us and are missing some parts?'

Madhal couldn't help but chuckle at the youthful chatter in his mind. "One question at a time, and we don't have answers for them all. Yes, we came with the other astral dragons. This 'machine' is called a ship, and we used it to fly us here. As for why we are small and look like this...well, we don't entirely know. But, we do know that our kind mixed with the Astral Princess's people...and somewhere down the line, we now look like this."

Ilohir was a bit stunned hearing the constant questions running through his mind in the voice of children. "And you thought _I_  asked a lot of questions. I think these two have me beat," he decided with a laugh.

'You're both really tiny.'

'Though not as tiny as the Lunare guy.'

'Barely though.'

"We have friends that are even smaller than Kelius," Ilohir informed.

'Really?' They both asked.

"That's right," Madhal agreed.

Cero looked at Cera for a moment. 'Hey, do you think we can turn tiny like them?'

'Uncle did say we could do just about anything with our magic.' Cera replied.

'Yeah, that was the only good thing he  _ever_ said to us. Want to try?' Cero prompted.

'Let's do it!' Cera replied.

Then, right in front of Madhal and Ilohir's wide eyes, the scales of the pure purple dragons began to shimmer, and they began to shrink down in size. After a moment, two naked astral dragon children took their place. They both had red hair and yellow eyes. Madhal's jaw dropped. Ilohir's eyes widened even further, and his mouth gaped open, as well.

'We did it!' Cera cheered jumping up and down before the twins began to look each other over since they had never seen each other in this form before.

"T-that's amazing..." Ilohir said, still a bit stunned. It didn't help when the two children ran over to them. He took his jacket off just as Madhal took his shirt off. Ilohir covered the boy with his jacket while Madhal covered the girl. That was when Cero wrapped his arms around Ilohir so he would pick him up.

Having Cero in his arms and seeing Madhal give the girl his shirt caused Ilohir to smile. "...Maybe we should adopt one day." He then blushed deeply, realizing exactly what had come out of his mouth. "Th-that is in the far, far, far future..!"

Cero blinked and smiled with a tinkling laugh. 'He's getting really red.'

Madhal made sure that Cera was completely covered in his shirt before gently ruffling the top of her head. When he heard Ilohir's statement, he felt his heart skip a beat. His smile was warm and heartfelt. "I would love to." Before they could speak any more of it, Madhal caught sight of the silhouette of a dragon flying in the distance. "Someone's coming." He said in a serious tone. "Alright, you two, we have to go back inside for now. Tell no one that you saw us here, ok?"

The twins nodded. 'We should change back now too,' Cero added as he took off the jacket and gave it back to Ilohir.

They both quickly changed back, though the shirt that Madhal gave Cera did not survive the transformation and ripped to shreds. 'Oops, sorry.'

"Don't worry about it," Madhal replied with a light laugh, dragging Ilohir inside and closing the hatch.

When Duke Borev made it to the platform where the ship was parked, his eyes narrowed at his niece and nephew. 'Enough playtime. Go home. Now.'

'Yes, uncle.' They replied mournfully before taking off.

Not a moment later, a strong tremor began to rumble around them. 'All of you should depart.' Bolev instructed as he lowered his neck down for the astral dragons to dismount. 'All except for… _you._ ' He demanded as his paw blocked Kelius's path. 'As the second representative of your kind, he should stay behind in good faith that you return.'

"No, we're not leaving without him!" Gonuret yelled as another tremor hit, a far stronger one that caused parts of the rock to crumble and fall.

Ruthed's eyes widened seeing the Duke block Kelius from following them. "You can't do this!" he yelled, gasping when the second tremor hit.

"Just go!" Kelius called after them. "They're not going to do anything to me! Hurry up and leave so you can come back for me!"

Ruthed frowned upon hearing Kelius's plea, but he nodded and helped Emyve drag Gonuret back into the ship.

"We have to leave now! We don't know when a slab of rock is going to hit the ship. We have to let the Solare know about all this!" Emyve reminded the Lunare.

"But, Kelius!" Gonuret shrieked.

"Damn it, leave!" Kelius yelled.

Ilohir looked on as everyone came back inside the ship except Kelius. "What's going on? Where's Kelius?" He asked as Gonuret and Emyve started up the ship.

"We'll explain on the way back," Ruthed told the other. He looked to Gonuret. "We'll be back for him. Don't worry, he's tough." He tried to assure.

With the rest of the group's safety in mind, Gonuret took off with Emyve as co-pilot. As they ascended through the crater, all they could see was a flash of Duke Borev's teeth and his glowing yellow eyes before they both seemed to disappear into the darkness.

 


	10. Preparations

When Kelius came to, the first thing he felt was the soreness of his neck. He hissed as he lifted his head, only to realize that his body was held upright into a strange harness with his back against the wall. His elbows were clasped in place, as were his ankles. Kelius tried to jostle himself free, but nothing truly budged.

"You can only be released from the outside."

The copper dragon turned his head so fast that his neck protested. "Ow! Son of a..." However, though he tried to get a good look at the other dragon, he couldn't even see him at all.

"SH! Don't talk! You'll draw his attention! My name is Darifer, an Astral from one of the chains of islands." The dragon continued. "Duke Borev isn't well. This entire laboratory-"

"Already making friends with your new company, I see," Duke Borev drawled as he changed into his Astral form and reached out to grab hold of Darifer's chin roughly. "Remember who your master is, filth." He let out a low growl. "I thought to make him a gift for you, but if you would rather not have the company..."

"Yes!" Darifer gasped as he responded quickly. "Yes, I...thank you for the gift.

Yellow eyes narrowed. "I must find a way to move this entire bunker onto the surface, so, I will leave you with your gift for now."

Darifer let out a sigh of relief when the pure dragon left again. "I think it's safe to talk, for now…"

"How long have you been down here?" Kelius questioned. "Any ideas on how to get us out?"

"Borev sealed our restraints in magic. There isn't anything we can do as of yet." Darifer explained in a weary tone of voice. "And I've been down here for weeks."

"Weeks!?" Kelius hissed. "I don't have that kind of time to waste, not with the tremors threatening to take down everything!"

"Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you just happen to be somewhere near the very core of the tremors."

For a moment, the memory of Ansar's face was brought forth as he realized just how dire a situation he was in. "Well, fuck."

"In this lab is our ancestors' radar technology. It used to be able to track down just about anything in its prime. I was halfway into decoding it when…let's just say that our ancestors' technology disrupts a pure dragon's psyche to the point that it drives them insane." Darifer explained.

"Insane?"

_::::::_

_Having lost his parents in one of the tremors, Darifer was the first to volunteer to investigate the tremors. He traveled by ship and found the crater before the walls of earth had risen too high to climb over. As he carefully glided his way down the long passage, he realized that it became harder and harder to see. Before he managed to get all the way to the bottom, something grabbed him._

_Panicked, he began to squirm in the grasp, until a calm voice began to resonate in his mind._

_'How strange…are you an Astral dragon? I thought your kind had died out long ago…'_

_As a large snout began to sniff at him, Darifer fought once again to keep himself calm. "Could you be a pure dragon?"_

_'My name is Borev, and I am the Duke of Dozeanro, our hidden kingdom.' Borev stated telepathically._

_"My name's Darifer. I'm just a representative from the chain islands above ground."_

_'So, there really is life on the surface. We didn't even realize…'_

_"Neither did we, I guess," Darifer admitted. "I came down here to investigate the source of tremors that have been tearing our islands asunder."_

_'We've been feeling those tremors here, as well.' The duke replied._

_"Then, maybe we should search for the source together!" The lavender dragon suggested._

_'Agreed.'_

_The two of them became fast friends as they investigated as a team. They became even closer as the days went by. But, then, the two of them came across the hidden laboratory. Darifer was able to walk in without a problem, but Borev had to use his magic to change into an Astral dragon in order to fit. Darifer openly stared at the lovely blue dragon for a moment, but then he focused on his surroundings and what the lab could have been used for._

_"Is this…a mainframe?" Darifer mused aloud as he looked over the equipment and turned everything on. "It still works!" As he began to work on it for several hours, he studied its functions._

_When he realized what it truly was, the lavender dragon gasped. The excitement shone on his face as he turned towards Borev with the great news. "I think it's a sophisticated radar!"_

_That was when he realized that Borev was holding his head in agony and hunched over. "Duke! Are you alright!?" He rushed over to try to help him, but when he got too close, he was shocked by electricity. "What the-?" He hissed as he curled his arm into his chest. The pure dragon began to generate even more electricity until a bright blue light formed around him. The light was so bright that Darifer had to shield his eyes from it._

_The lavender dragon didn't know how or when he had been unconscious. But, when he next opened his eyes, it was to the sight of his naked body in restraints and Duke Borev's hands sliding along his skin. "What's the meaning of this?"_

_'Be still, Astral filth,' Borev hissed into his mind. 'You have done this to me, this incessant noise beneath my skin…and for that; you shall pay.'_

_::::::_

"Yes. At least, from what I've seen." Darifer affirmed after a moment of silence. "I was hoping to use the advanced radar to search for the source of the tremors. I'd all but given up hope until he brought you down here."

"Tied up as I am, there's little I can do," Kelius stated.

"Sooner or later, someone will come for you." Darifer insisted. "We'll be able to do something then."

"I sure hope you're right."

Another moment of silence engulfed them both as they shifted in their restraints.

"By the way, what's your name?" Darifer asked.

"Kelius. Astral from the grasslands." Kelius replied.

"Nice to meet you…" He responded with a slight groan of despair. "That's definitely one of the pleasantries I've taken for granted in the past, a proper introduction."

Kelius let out a snort. "You mean all the manners that parents pass down?"

"Mmhmm," Darifer said in affirmation. "Lost my parents during one of the tremors some years back."

"Oh," Kelius hissed, feeling rather contrite about his careless words. "My condolences."

"No worries," The other dragon stated. "So long as we figure out what's causing the tremors and manage to stop them, then it won't have been in vain. If only I could have decoded the blasted mainframe fast enough…ancient technology isn't my area of expertise."

Kelius let out a snort. "Oh? I know someone who could decode it in a breeze."

::::::

Emyve piloted the rest of the way back to the fortress. The atmosphere was tense between the gallants. Though they had no choice, it didn't make them feel any less awful for having left one of their own behind.

Not even Ruthed himself could brighten up their mood just then. But, even so, he brought up one of the questions that were surely on their minds. "So, who's gonna volunteer to tell Ansar?" He asked in a serious tone.

Ilohir quickly shook his head no as he held Madhal's hand, squeezing it a little at just the thought of leaving Kelius behind and breaking the news to Ansar.

Madhal immediately wrapped his arm around his partner and pressed his forehead to Ilohir's temple, closing his eyes. As much as he enjoyed to talk, he couldn't bring himself to say a single word.

"I will. It's my responsibility, anyhow." Gonuret spoke up.

When they finally docked in the fortress, they made their way to the conference room.

"I will find Sindri and Ansar," Gonuret stated. "All of you, please wait here."

The Solare Sindri, Visionary Ansar, and Sentain Yuneza were seated around a table in the library, eating and researching at the same time. As soon as the Lunare walked in, Sindri rushed over to hug him and kiss him.

The white-haired dragon a mixture of relief and regret. He felt relieved to be able to hold the Solare in his arms again, but he also regretted not being able to truly celebrate their safe return. "I have news. Most of them aren't good." He began as he looked over towards Yuneza and Ansar, as well. "Come with me to the conference room." He added as the three of them rushed over to the other Gallants.

"We found a crater-sized opening that delved deep underground where a Pure Dragon kingdom has been residing for centuries," Emyve explained when everyone was present. "The Pure Dragons themselves don't know what is truly causing the tremors. Worse yet, they are in danger of being buried alive."

Ansar immediately noticed Kelius's absence. "Where's Kelius?"

Gonuret frowned and placed a hand on the Visionary's shoulder. "Gallant Kelius remained behind with the royal family of the Pure Dragons..."

"Why-?" Ansar questioned, only to be cut off by Sentain Yuneza. He kept quiet out of pure respect for her and because of the important information that was being tossed back and forth, but he was already feeling the anxiety building up inside him.

"If what we know about Pure Dragons is correct, then most of the adults and young adults should be able to fly out through the crater's opening by themselves." Sentain Yuneza mused out loud.

"What about the Pure dragons that can't make such a journey?" Sindri questioned.

"Well, they can take on an Astral form," Madhal revealed. "Ilohir and I have seen it."

"Then, would it be possible to ferry them over in ships?" Sindri wondered aloud.

"That seems to be our only option for now," Sentain Yuneza admitted. She then used her limited power to give notice to the distant Sentains. As she focused her energy, the staff she held began to glow. "Sentains, be prepared in your designated villages. The Gallants are aiding in the evacuation of Pure Dragons living beneath the ground of the zone near the tremors."

"Why did Kelius stay behind!?" Ansar hissed in the background, trying to stare down all of the Gallants, the very gallants that refused to look him in the eye. He was at his breaking point.

Yuneza ignored him as she finished her message. "The Pure Dragons will be directed here, to our fortress. However, the source of the tremors has yet to be found or stopped."

"Gallant Kelius said something about beginning the evacuating process," Gonuret stated, though he couldn't truly hold the Visionary's yellow gaze.

Sindri gave a sharp nod as he took everything in. The Pure Dragons seemed to be in far greater danger than themselves. "Let's split into teams." He commanded as he finally realized why he had been chosen to be the new Solare. Thus far, he seemed to be able to keep a level head in the midst of chaos. "Madhal and Ilohir, you're in charge of the wounded and elderly."

The blonde turned towards the other gallants. "Emyve and Ruthed, you're in charge of the pregnant women and children." His orange eyes then settled onto the Lunare's gray ones. "Gonuret, you're in charge of anyone else who is unable to make the flight on their own. Each one of you will be in charge of your own individual ship. I don't know how many Pure dragons are still alive, but if it's the size of an entire kingdom, we can't afford to overlook any space."

"I'm going, too!" Ansar declared.

"Ansar, Kelius wouldn't want you to be thrust right into the danger zone," Ruthed countered. "Besides, Sindri needs you here."

The Solare frowned at the disappointment that formed on his best friend's face. He knew exactly where Ansar was coming from. "Ansar...Trust me; I know how you feel. I want to go along with them as well, I always have! But, if we were to go, we'd only be a hindrance for all of them." He reached over and ruffled the soft curls. "They're working very hard. We need to do same."

While Sindri had a feeling that Gonuret had chosen not to elaborate on the circumstances of Kelius's disappearance, he knew that Ansar and himself needed to remain where they were. He was now in charge of, not only the safety of the Astral dragons but now the Pure dragons, as well.

"Alright, already," Ansar grumbled in a frustrated manner. He stomped his way out of the conference room, his tail dragging on the ground behind him. "I'll just be in my room feeding the rabbits!"

Sindri let out a defeated sigh as he watched his best friend storm off, but it was for the best. He focused his attention back on Gonuret, walking over and giving him a firm kiss. "Go now, and be careful." He gazed at the other Gallants. "All of you."

The Gallants began to make their way back to the hangar, but Gonuret remained behind, dropping his forehead gently against the blonde. "Keep safe, my Solare." He whispered, taking both of Sindri's hands and lifting them to his lips, giving the knuckles a kiss at the junction. "Tell Ansar that we'll do everything in our power to bring Gallant Kelius back."

"We'll be fine so long as you all return to us safely," Sindri admitted to the Lunare, heat rising to his cheeks from the Astral dragon's gesture. He then wrapped his arms around Gonuret in a tight embrace, despite knowing he would be hesitant to let go. "I don't know what's fully going on, but I know you'll bring him back." He then watched Gonuret walk away with a heavy heart.


End file.
